What ifs don't change the world
by AnadoraBlack
Summary: Liana is a mutant. She can't die, however hard she tries to. Her world falls to pieces when she meets someone who might be as fragile as she is, yet a whole lot more dangerous. But she can't resist pretty eyes. Loki/OC, 'cause we are Loki's Army!
1. Me? I'm just a mutant!

_ A/N: Hello! Sorry to have taken so long, I had to very much think about it before starting rewriting it... ^^ In fact, you can thank Mac and Tom Hiddleston himself for putting your eyes on this story again: the first for the most precious advices and infos on the Avengers' comics and of American's Secret Services, and the second for showing me too much hotness on television trailers than necessary._

_ So, yeah, in you go! :)_

**1. Me? I'm just a mutant!**

**Liana's POV**

Okay, just so that it's clear, it had to be done.

I woke up on one of those days when I could precisely tell what had to be done. I just knew. Never got it why.

So, I just jumped out of the sleeping bag I had thrown behind trashed cars, took my sword, wrapped in on my back as usual, and ate a single lonely apple before going where I knew I had to go.

Not that I knew how it'd have gone. No, not that. In fact, I just knew I had to contact Nick Fury, but didn't know where to. But I certainly knew _how_.

Oh, something else. I really knew about the Avengers Assemble. I did. How did I ever come to put my eyes on one of these classified informations? Let me tell you.

_o°o°oFlashback°o°o°_

It had been on a horrible day that I had come to meet the famous Dr Bruce Banner. I was hanging out something in Northern Mexico when I came to cross some huge beast's path. Needless to say that I had to freak out a while before running away.

I've never been that much of a coward, but I had to admit that seeing a three meters tall green thing which growled and showed a serious lack of gentleness jump in front of you wasn't the most pleasant sight.

It was after Hulk kicked me in a wall and after I got back up that he started to have doubts.

The beast turned back into Dr Bruce. Who wasn't the most talkative person in the world.

Of course, he had to check my vitals. Of course I had to explain why I wasn't dead. And of course, we spent the rest of the day speaking about science and the fact that one shouldn't ever mess with gamma rays.

Almost a month after that, Bruce called me personally to ask for assistance as he thought he had found a cure. Of course, Hulk only reappeared, very angry, and I took on me to calm him down. Meaning I had to break a few bones and raise from the dead at least three times before he turned back into human form.

After that day, Bruce always called when he was close to something, "in case it went wrong". Except that day.

See, he had called from Brazil, and I was back to Seattle, so I had to take a few planes and taxis before reaching him. And, of course, when I arrived, he was gone. Thanks General Ross. Bloody step-father, or something close. Never saw her for real, Bruce's girl. Just a photograph. Not bad, though really too stupid to run after the man of her life, if you want my opinion.

Anyway, I got into his lair, and found a computer, still opened on the mailbox. Unread mail: one. Curiosity, sane curiosity. As the mail had for topic Avengers Initiative, I opened it. Of course.

After that I got jealous. S.H.I.E.L.D was putting together a team of superheroes, and I wasn't even invited? And Hulk was? That wasn't good at all for my temper.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I had to think about it for about a year before taking a decision. And then, as I've been homeless for a while, I decided I had nothing left to loose.

After getting settled, I took a cab, direction Washington D.C. Not far from where I had been sleeping, though I couldn't recall the name of the town.

The cab left me not that far from my destination, so I finished by foot.

The White House wasn't as beautiful as in the magazines. But I wasn't about to redecorate.

I didn't really think about it before walking to one of the guards' cabin and knock on the glass.

The man pushed a button and a microphone cracked.

"Yes, can I help you?"

I smiled a very convincing smile. And I threw a dagger of the control panel of the security barrier. "Yes, you can. I'm here to kill the President. Can I see him, please?"

The man freaked out, though didn't show it, and pushed several buttons in front of him. Then, he quickly got out of the cabin, a gun pointed on my face. "Stay where you are. Show me your hands."

I sighed, and slowly got my hands up. Then, with a devilish grin, I put them higher and higher, until I reached my sword's hilt on my back.

He didn't loose it. And I got the first bullet in the arm. Perfectly placed, where it would wound but not bleed to death. Skilled men indeed.

I grinned even wider, and showed him as my skin just closed and left nothing but an almost invisible scar which disappeared a moment after.

This time his eyes widened and he pushed another button on his sleeve.

I must say I was impressed. I hadn't heard them come. And yet, there were several men, all posted behind me, all wearing black suits.

One of them didn't ask permission before shooting a dazing needle on my neck.

Before I collapsed, I had the time to deliver a message. "Nick Fury."

And then everything blanked.

_So, better for a first one? :)_


	2. Quite a show

_ A/N: Wow, two days before I'm going to the cinema watching my favourite Bad Briton on screen (eh eh, I'm sooo excited!), I decided to keep this story going a little longer before the big day... :)_

**2. Quite a show!**

**Liana's POV**

I regained my mind some time after. At first, I didn't open my eyes, and let my ears wander, as I clearly could hear people walking around me, and two mechanical voices, as if someone was talking in a microphone. Then I thought. Of course they would talk outside of the room. I had threatened their President.

"What did she say, exactly?" A deep voice made itself heard. I listened very carefully, as I quickly understood the "she" was me.

"She said she was there to kill the President. So, obviously-"

"You're agent tried to reason her without harm. Then?"

"Well, apparently, she lifted her hands to take her sword, which was hanging on her back, and...the agent shot her."

I could hear some hesitation. "Shot her? Where?"

"Wrist. You know we are trained to fire parts of the body which can be-"

"Painful but not deadly when wounded. I know that. So?"

"Nothing, sir. She...she healed."

I swallowed back a chuckle. That's where it started to be interesting. "And I guess she said my name just before collapsing, then?"

"Yes sir, she did."

"Then, I'd rather have her handled to S.H.I.E.L.D, if you don't see any objections. She clearly had a message, and it wasn't intended to the President, it was intended to me. Do as needed."

"Yes sir."

And the microphone cracked as it was shut down.

The two men had stopped talking, and had probably left.

One of them could only have been Nick Fury.

So my message had indeed been transmitted. Good.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Natasha's POV**

"You asked to see me, sir?" Asked was an understatement. Summoned was a better word to use, as I had to literally jump into a plane to fly from L.A to Washington. "_Business matters_", the message had said. Had I known...

"Yes, Agent Romanoff. You are to escort a very special cargo back to H.Q."

I couldn't hide my surprise. "Have you finally found Dr Banner, sir? Or maybe Rogers?"

He shook his head. "None of them, actually. This one wasn't on the list. But she might be from now on. I still have to be sure, but I think the woman who threatened the President earlier today is a mutant."

Again, I widened my eyes. "A mutant? What kind?"

"As I said, still have to be sure, but apparently she has regenerated herself. Rather quickly."

"You mean, as Logan does?"

"Yes, as Wolverine does. But I'm still not so sure about either her purpose and her abilities. That's why I need you. She's still sedated, but if she wakes up during transport, I allow you to use any means necessary so that she doesn't slip from our fingers."

I nodded. "Yes sir. Something else?"

"Yes. Call on Stark, he can be of some use too."

I nodded again, and then Fury walked away quickly, leaving me in front of an interrogation cell. In which was lying a relatively young woman, approximatively 25, with short dark hair, pale skin and a metal music t-shirt.

I kept watching her until the medics needled her once more and nodded she could be transported.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

This time, once I had regained conscience, I opened my eyes. The sound wasn't enough to guess where I was.

I definitely was in a plane. A very cosy plane, actually. One of those you could only afford when you had a billion or more in your bank accounts. This jet could only have been owned by Tony Stark. I still was on tracks.

As I turned around to acknowledge where I was lying, I spotted someone, sitting not far from me and glaring at me with furious blue eyes.

The person was a woman. A really beautiful woman, but whose posture shouted "be careful" from miles away. She wore a leather outfit and two pistols were hanging at her thighs.

I straightened up. "Hi."

She glared some more. "Who are you?" So, straight to the point. I didn't complain.

"Liana. You?"

"Liana Who?"

I chuckled. "Liana Noname, I'm afraid."

She glared at me again, and then saw I wasn't impressed. "I'm Agent Romanoff."

"Oh." I smirked. "So Mr Fury has gotten my message."

She nodded. "Though we still ignore what it was."

"Everything in good time, Agent Romanoff. For the time being, you have to know that you can relax, I'm not going to try and run away, or attack you. Besides, you couldn't harm me in any way."

She tilted her head. "I know many ways to make one suffer."

"I'm sure of it." I tugged at my clothes. "Oh. You've let me in those. Thanks. Teenagers' clothes aren't that bad, nowadays."

This time I got a response. Her red eyebrows lifted, though still very gracefully. "Nowadays?"

I shrugged. "How old do you think I am?"

"I do not think about that, concerning you. I'm more trying to guess what are you strengths and weaknesses and what would be your use in our Initiative."

"Oh. So you're part of the Avengers, then."

She nodded. "You know about that."

"I do." Not need to deny.

"How?"

"Know about someone called Banner? I met him once or twice. Read his mail once. Bad idea to send confidential mails to renegade people."

"I'll tell he who's responsible for that mistake."

"Do not punch too hard."

She tilted her head once more. "I won't. The one who sent those mails is an A.I named Jarvis. It belongs to-"

"Stark. I'm not an idiot, and I can read too. Papers are continually talking about him and his...inventions."

"You'll meet him soon enough to make your own opinion."

I nodded. "It will be a real pleasure."

She looked at me up and down. "You'll have to watch your back. Though he is officially with Pepper Potts now, you could still be his type."

I chuckled this time. "I do not fear Stark's heading on. I'm far too old for him. Or anyone."

Again one expression of surprise. "Too old? How could you be too old? You're at least ten years younger than me."

I chuckled again. "I doubt it, unless you are seventy and had several surgeries."

I saw she was about to answer to that, and she probably didn't believe a word I said, but the plane suddenly started to descend, and I put my seatbelt on.

"Anyway, we can talk about this later. I'm sure we'll spent a huuuge amount of time together once I'm hired."

And Natasha frowned.

*_evil laugh* I do love writing things like this... ^^_

_ So, yes, I've kept some attributions Logan had, like we don't know how old he is, so Liana's older than she looks. But that won't bother everyone. Especially not three people who are in the same case... :p_

_ Review please!_


	3. Hired?

_ A/N: I've seen it people! The best superhero movie I've seen since the first Iron Man. Of course Tony steals the show, as always, but I won't complain, I love him too. Except I got all grumpy when Hulk started being green on my Loki... Bad Bruce! ;)_

_ Anyway, that means I definitely have all my story hanging in my mind, you just wait. :)_

**3. Hired?**

**Liana's POV**

I tried to see past the plane's cockpit glass to see where we were heading, but I saw pretty much nothing until I realised we were flying above water.

I turned to question my...escort.

"Water? S.H.I.E.L.D's are on the water?"

She shrugged.

I chuckled. "Wow. That's something I wasn't waiting for. Well done."

"I do not recall who had this idea. I'm not that confident on water."

"Sea sick?" I smirked.

"No. Afraid to be in a cage."

"Oh. I see. So the whole "Russian best spy" is true then. You really are the Black Widow."

She turned to plant her eyes in mine. "Yes, I am. Questions?"

"Later. I'm pretty much waiting for the moment Fury tells me to watch my back with you."

And this time she smirked too. One point Liana.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

We really were approaching an aircraft carrier. One huge aircraft carrier. The plane slowly made its way towards a bunch of men waving red and orange sticks, and then I saw them both.

Fury, all black and eye-patch wearing, as I remembered from the news, and his "second in hand", Coulson. Waiting for us, apparently.

Natasha quickly got up and unfastened her seatbelt, and then handed me a blindfold.

"Put this on. You were not supposed to see this."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Then why haven't you wrapped it around my head yourself?"

She shrugged. "I don't think you're an immediate menace."

I tilted my head. "Well, I must say that you are very smart, Agent Romanoff."

She shrugged again and waited until I had wrapped the piece of cloth around my head and didn't see a thing.

I merely heard the plane's doors open, and then a wave of wind wrapped my whole body while Natasha was driving me down.

I was welcomed by a deep voice. Fury himself.

"Miss-"

"Liana. She says her name's Liana." Natasha helped.

"Well, Miss...Liana, welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. I do hope you have some explanations for me. Especially concerning your behaviour with our President."

I chuckled. "Mister Fury, I presume. Well, I'd just say that extraordinary circumstances ask extraordinary measures."

Coulson chuckled too. "Sir, I think this young lady had something of a message for you."

"And she said she knew Banner, sir." Thank you Natasha for suspense.

"Really? Well, we'd better see this inside, won't we?"

And I felt a hand on my back pushing me towards.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Phil's POV**

That woman really was strange. First, she didn't seem to be impressed by anything. Neither Fury himself nor Natasha, who still could creep anyone out. And second, she never was hiding the fact that she was special. Her tee shirt was completely screwed, with bullet wholes all over it, and even some traces of knives. She was a piece of meat.

We all went to the debriefing room up the command hall, and Hill joined us too. I quickly explained the situation, she nodded and stayed silent as usual.

Natasha made the woman sit and unfolded her eyes. She just put a hand in her hair and then smirked to the Colonel.

"So. Questions?"

Fury sighed and sit down in front of her. We all sat too. Stark wasn't there yet, which wasn't really a surprise. "What's your complete name?"

"I told your agent before. I do not know my last name. My first-name, however, is Liana."

"How could you not remember your name?"

She sighed. "As I said too, I am much older than I look. I am at least sixty-seven years old."

I couldn't help it. "Sixty-seven? Are you kidding?"

She turned her strange eyes to me. "No, Agent Coulson, I am not kidding."

"And how can you not be sure?" Natasha pushed her guns on the table, and that made me shiver. Really, couldn't she stop doing that?

Liana sighed again. "I know I've been a war prisoner in Birkenau in the Second World War. That's all I know for sure. I don't remember anything before 1978."

"Birkenau? You mean Auschwitz?" Fury looked slightly puzzled, and that wasn't happening often.

"Birkenau was the biggest of the two camps. Since they couldn't gaze me for obvious reasons, I guess I was made free at one moment. I know I was there because of this." She outstretched her left arm and there were tattooed little blueish numbers. Like those the Jews were wearing.

Fury put a file on the table. "Anyway, now that we know some things about your background, Miss, can you precisely tell me what on Earth you were thinking when you threatened the President?"

She shrugged. "I had to find a way to come to you. That's the only way I thought of. Now that I out-think it, I'd probably better have run to Stark's."

Natasha sighed. "She knows about the Avengers' Initiative. She knows Stark was about to join, and she claims she knows Banner and to have read a mail about it at his place in Brazil."

Fury nodded. "Banner, eh? That is a tricky one, since the man's pretty antisocial."

Liana smirked. "Banner is antisocial, that's for sure, but Hulk isn't. Not when his favourite pushing-ball cannot die." And she put her hands on the table, linking them like a businessman.

"So you encountered one of our special team, then."

"Your special team? Excuse me, but last I checked, only Natasha, Agent Barton and Stark were about to join the Initiative. And, as much as Stark's shiny armour is effective, I do not think you can protect the whole planet with three people."

I tilted my head, meaning I agreed.

"Indeed. But we still don't know why you think you are so vital for us."

"Well, one: I can't die. I can't be burnt, torn to pieces, frozen, drowned, strangled, anything. And second: I'm pretty good with a blade. But I still need to practise. That shouldn't be too hard. Oh, and I have just got out of uni with a psychologist degree. Which can be quite useful when you face people like Hulk."

Natasha smirked. "She's got a point, sir. We do need more recruits. And, as I said before in my report, Liana doesn't seem to be an immediate menace."

Fury nodded. "I still have to ask the Counsel."

Liana smirked in reply. "Then I consider myself part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Where are my quarters?"

I chuckled. Tony decided to show up at that precise moment. He took his sunglasses off, looked at every one of us until his gaze fell on Liana. He plastered his favourite know-it-all smirk on his face.

"Well, I haven't been informed the urgency was that urgent. Hello to you. Tony Stark, at your service." He chewed his chewing-gum once or twice and then bowed to the girl.

Who looked slightly amused, I should say. "Nice to meet you, Tony. My name's Liana."

"Liana? Wow, that's some pretty name. So, that's you who can't die, eh? Don't want to share the secret?"

She shrugged, still smirking. "Be born with it, I suppose."

He sighed mockingly. "Well, then, I assume I'll just have to hope you find a way of sharing then." Then he turned to me. "Phil, Pepper wants you for diner one day soon. I thought I might add that I'd rather appreciate if you said no to the invite."

I smirked. "Oh, but I'll be more than happy to dine with you and Miss Potts, Stark. Thanks for inviting me."

He sighed and then faced the Colonel. "Nick, dearest, have you hired this young creature? 'Cause if you didn't, I'd be quite upset and become all irony to convince you."

Fury got up and sighed. "Agent Romanoff, please escort Liana to her new quarters in the soldiers' hall. You shall practise guns with her as from tomorrow. Stark, just...go back to New York. I'll call on you if needed." And he exited, followed my Hill.

Stark chuckled and turned to our new recruit. "If you ever need someone a little more enthusiastic than this bunch of super soldiers, please call on me, I'd be honoured to lighten your mood."

She laughed really loud. "I thought you were joking about the flirt thing, Natasha, but obviously you aren't." She got up and walked to Stark, patting his cheek like a mother would do to her child. "I met you father once. If I recall well, you were still a baby. Shame. I would have loved to change your nappies."

And Romanoff and her left the room as quickly as Fury did.

Stark put a hand to his cheek and came to me. "Phil, am I cursed?"

I patted his shoulder. "No, I just think you've met someone very interesting."

"Indeed." And he walked away, all lost in his thoughts.

_Review? :)_


	4. You kidding?

_ A/N: As I keep saying to all my readers, I find it quite difficult to hang on several stories at the same time, so excuse the amount of wait between two chaps. :)_

**4. You kidding?**

**Liana's POV**

Clint fell on the ground with a loud "thump". I landed on his chest, pushing his body hard on the fabric of the judo hall. I smirked to him.

"So, my dear Hawkeye, didn't see this one come, eh?"

He smirked back and sent me flying two meters away with a well-placed kick.

We kept battling against each other for some more minutes, kicking both fists and feet in the air, while another bunch of agents stopped to watch.

That was usual that the others watched me fight against either Clint or Tasha. It had been five months since I was officially hired, and I was still struggling with some parts of my training. But not the martial arts part, obviously.

Clint stopped our battle swiftly, by grabbing both my arms at the same time they were coming awfully close to his chiselled profile.

"I think that's probably enough for today." He smiled.

I smiled back. "I almost got you this time."

He grabbed a towel and launched it to me while he gathered his things against a wall. "I'm sure one day you'll be able to punch me. Once."

"And that day, I'll have to have you drunk. Very drunk."

He chuckled. "Yeah, probably."

We both got out of the hall, the other agents having resumed their own training.

We walked towards our quarters, standing two doors apart from one another.

As we reached his room, Clint turned to me again. "I have to go on mission. You had nothing on schedule, I hope?"

I smiled. Clint had accepted to be my "cinema teacher", as I called it, to make sure I was kept both entertained and in touch with my missing memories. "No, I had nothing on schedule. In fact, I might go and bother Pepper tonight, it's been a while."

He smiled again. "I'm glad she finally found someone to get along with other than her boyfriend."

"Me too. I love Tony, I really do, but sometimes I do wonder why she chose him. She's so..."

"Patient?" He smirked.

"I see where you're going, Birdy." I pointed a finger in his face.

The nickname made him chuckle. "Anyway, if you ever need to contact me, I'll be working alongside Selvig for a while."

I nodded. "That's not the hardest of missions. Eric's pretty nice, apart from when he decides to teach someone about the might of his mythology."

Clint smiles again. "Believe me, when you meet Thor, you'll understand his point."

I nodded, and Clint was off.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

In five months, nothing had changed much. I still wasn't allowed to go on mission alone, which was why, most of the time, I was glued to Phil's heels. As I still hasn't retrieved my missing past, Fury decided to call me "Agent Noname" which wasn't very pleasant, but Clint said that it might change when I had a proper super nickname. When he suggested "Deadmeat", I had kicked the back of his head.

Clint Barton and I had met a few days after my arrival on the ship. At first, I had believed him to be without interest, and then, as the time went by, I realised he had a wicked sense of humour that he only shared with those he claimed to trust. Meaning either Tasha or I. I was flattered.

Tasha wasn't often around me. She was by that time on mission in Russia, but I had to say that since I was accepted in S.H.I.E.L.D, she had been very distant. Clint had told me that it'd get better with time.

Tony and I, on the other hand, really had developed a relationship close to one of siblings. We were always arguing or mocking each other, and whenever Pepper wanted me along he was pranking me the all night.

Finally, I had most definitely gotten more soldier-like every day, with a more muscular body and better reflexes. Clint had vainly taught me how to handle a bow, but I wasn't that bad with a gun. But I still was better than average with a blade. Which was why Fury liked my "abilities" in close fights.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I was getting bored in my room when I decided to call Pepper. I had Virginia's number on speed dial on my newly acquired Stark phone – I suspected Tony to have added a tracking device in it – and quickly pushed the right button.

It didn't even ring once before I heard her voice.

"_Liana? Is that you?_"

"Hey, Pepper, how are you?"

"_Very well, thank you. Why are you calling? Is there an emergency? Should I call Tony?_"

I huffed. "Leave Anthony Stark to whatever he's doing right now. Girls' night?"

She sighed. "_It would have been with real pleasure, but we are dining with Phil tonight, and I was the one the send the invite._"

I didn't flinch. "And would Phil hate me if I invaded your table for this diner?"

I could imagine her smile. "_Phil wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure-_"

I heard a lower voice coming from behind her. "_If she ever touches my Mark 6 without permission again, I'm sending her to Jupiter!_"

I laughed on the other side of the combine. "I take that as a proper invitation. See you around, Pep'!"

Pepper sighed. "_See you too, Liana. 8 o'clock would do_."

And Tony greeted me too. "_And don't forget to take your brain with you!_"

I merely noticed that I wasn't alone in my room during the whole call.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Maria Hill and I weren't the best of buddies, I had to admit. But she still was mu superior, or something approaching, so I was doing my best being correct with her around.

So when I saw that she was standing just before my door, I got up and saluted faintly.

"Agent Hill, can I help you?"

She looked slightly annoyed. "I take it you have plans for tonight?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Does Director Fury need me?"

"Not tonight. But he would like you to take this into consideration." She handed me a green folder. "He waits for your answer by midnight on Friday." And she exited my room.

Without another look, I closed the door and sat back on my bed, eyeing the file as if it had been a mirage.

Fury was giving me something to do. On my own. That was a first.

I opened the file and immediately understood why he had given it to _me_ among all agents.

The first words printed on it were "_find Dr Bruce Banner_" in bright red.

_Review please! :)_


	5. The beginning of something strange

_ A/N: Inspired or a little too eager to finally write about Liana and my favourite God's encounter, I do not know. Still, here comes the next chapter, a little earlier than scheduled... ^^_

_ Oh, and I couldn't wait too long either, so he's in here, somewhere... x)_

**5. The beginning of something strange**

**Clint's POV**

"Where's Agent Barton?" I sighed, hidden in the shadow of "my nest", as Selvig decided to call it. They knew, despite what they assured, that I saw things way better from above.

"In his hawk's nest." Selvig pointed my general direction, and Director Fury started to walk towards me, his only eye trying to guess my form in the darkness of the ceiling.

I threw a rope into the air and got down as swiftly as the wind.

Fury acknowledged me with a nod. "Report?"

I started walking back to the tesseract with him. "The thing's been pretty unstable for hours now. Pr Selvig thinks there's no big deal, but I'm still not confident about this."

As I said this, the said tesseract started to send blue shadowy blows in each direction. We both turned to Selvig.

"I think you should consider evacuating quicker than thought, Director." The Swedish scientist then started running in every direction, pushing some buttons, and still it had no effect.

The tesseract then started to become really unstable, and the shadowy blows it sent were now very powerful and directed in a precise direction.

"I think it's trying to send someone here!" I couldn't say if the thought frightened him or if he was excited. Yet, I still grabbed my gun and pointed it at what now looked like a porthole.

Then it all exploded.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I was sent flying in the opposite direction. Fury and I quickly got up, and what we saw was completely insane. The tesseract had resumed its calm glowing, while some blows were still lingering on the ceiling, ready to blow it up. But, even stranger, where the porthole had appeared moments ago, there were flames. And in the middle of them, a man.

A man. That's what first came in mind when you saw this. He definitely had the shape of a man, but I now know he wasn't one at all.

He slowly raised his chin towards us, chuckling like a mad man.

His hair were shoulder long and pitch black, and his eyes were green as emeralds.

I didn't make the connection.

He raised a stick which held the same blue the tesseract glowed of, and he killed half of the agents, sending me flying sideways too.

As I got up, the man had walked to me, and he raised his stick so that it touched my chest.

"You have to believe it. In your chores." He had a very smooth voice too. With a trail of British accent, I might even say.

But, I forgot everything when I felt his stick entering my soul and slowly, very slowly replacing it with something else.

I ceased to exist.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I was in the middle of an Internet research when Coulson called. And whenever Phil Coulson called you in the middle of the night, it had to be important.

I grabbed the phone in no time, swallowing back the cereals I've been vainly trying to eat for an hour. "Phil?"

"Agent Liana, we need you on debrief field. Now."

I clicked the phone off and quickly got out of my room, not even bothering to take my glasses off my nose.

As I entered the command room of the HQ, I saw that Phil, Fury and a highly disturbed Tony were already there. I sat next to Tony.

"Hello, sunshine." He didn't even answer. So it was important.

Fury made a file slip on the table towards me. I didn't open it.

As my gaze became quizzical, he stared at me and started explaining.

"Earlier tonight, the tesseract has been stolen from our hands by an unexpected enemy. And the bad news is, he has magically enrolled Agent Barton and Pr Selvig."

I narrowed my eyes. "Magically enrolled? What does that mean?"

He pointed at the file. "Open it."

I did, and the first thing I saw was a picture of a highly handsome man, with something of sadness or even despair in his gorgeous green eyes. Eyes as I had never seen before. "Who is that man?"

"He's no man. You are staring at the only known photograph of Loki, brother of Thor and Norse God of Mischief."

I stared again at Loki's face. Mischief? That was something pretty odd for such a beautiful man.

Tony chuckled next to me. "Told you she'd stare for some while. She can't resist a pretty face." I didn't look up but launched my elbow in his ribs nevertheless.

Fury resumed. "Anyway, we have reasons to believe that he wants both the tesseract and Selvig to open another porthole and bring even more chaos than he already has."

I raised a hand. "Wait. Isn't his brother, Blondie, supposed to be an ally?"

Tony raised an eyebrow at the nickname but didn't say a thing. Coulson, on the other hand, seemed to be particularly interested in the word chosen. Never mind.

"Yes, _Thor_ is an ally, but we don't know what will be Asgard's reaction to his reappearance. As much as we do know, Loki was believed to be dead by both parties."

I nodded. "What are we going to do? I mean, to stop him and get Clint and Eric back?"

Tony sat back and took his most insufferable posture. The one when he had had a conversation like this before and knew he was right. And the other was wrong. Which was often, if not always, the case. "That's a good question, Director."

Fury sighed. "As far as I'm concerned, Barton can't be trusted furthermore. But we'll do what we can to spare him." He raised a hand to stop me from interfering. "In the mean time, I've sent Agent Romanoff to the coordinates you gave me so that she finds and convinces Dr Banner to come back to the US. I myself have to go and parlay with Cpt Steve Rogers."

I sent him a quizzical glance. "So, you are relaunching the Avengers Initiative?"

Coulson smirked. Fury didn't. "I might be. But none of them must know. As for now, I need Banner to retrieve the tesseract, and Rogers to fight Loki off."

I chuckled. "One man against a God? Wow, Captain America should really be someone with strength!" I swallowed back my other joke and plastered a fake serious smile on my face. "And what am I to do, sir?"

"For now, you are to stay here and prepare Dr Banner's lab. When they all have arrived, I think we could brief you in assisting Rogers in his researches."

I smiled. "Thanks for you trust, sir."

"It is not trust. I merely need someone I'm sure won't die at Loki's hand."

Tony winced. I put a hand on his wrist. "Easy now, Director, you've almost frightened our Canman here."

That sufficed to make Tony regain his usual posture. He turned to me while getting up. "One day, Canman will grab you by the shirt and send you flying with some goose. I'm sure you'll enjoy the landing."

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Fury quickly dismissed us, and I accompanied Tony back to his armour, silently waiting for him in the landing hangar.

"Li, can I ask you a question?"

"Mmh?"

"D'you really believe that that _Loki_ can take us all down?"

I thought about it for a second. "Physically speaking, no, I don't think so. He doesn't seem to be the kind of man to get involved in fights. But, as he is the God of Mischief, I'd say he'd try to take us down using mind manipulation."

Tony smirked. "I can survive to that."

I smiled back. "Oh, yes you can. You've known me for too long not to spot these tricks." I chuckled.

He rolled his eyes before stepping into his Mark 6. "_Psychology_. That's for noodles."

I blew him a kiss. "If I'm a noodle, then what are you?"

And, just before take-off, I heard him answer. "The Peking duck, honey, of course."

_Review, please! :)_

_ Oh, and one thing last, I don't know for you, but I think the Stuttgart scene where Loki rips a man's eye out is properly hilarious. Yeah, because Tom's smile throughout it is just adorable. Okay, I shut it... ^^_


	6. Lab talks

_ A/N: Wow, I'm already writing the sixth chapter of this, when it was supposed to be a crappy thing! I'm impressed of my own inspiration sometimes... ^^_

**6. Lab talks**

**Liana's POV**

I was in Banner's lab, making sure everything would be damn perfect for when the man arrived. Strangely, I wasn't that concerned about our "reunion", since it would have been a damn luck if he ever remembered anything about me at all. I wasn't that much of an unforgettable person. Not since I got into S.H.I.E.L.D. And most certainly not when you were freaking friends with Tony Stark.

I was about to verify some of the program's datas when the door opened in my back. To appear very busy if it wasn't Banner and to breathe calmly if it was him, I didn't turn around and left the intruder present itself.

"Huh, Agent Liana?" I turned around. It wasn't Banner. It was a novice who was working in the command hall.

"Yes?"

The young man seemed uncomfortable in my presence, and that was weird. Usually, people were like that around Tasha, not me. "Agent Coulson wanted you to know that you'd better check everything quickly, we're about to take off."

I looked outside, and indeed saw some rough movement on the water. The HQ was about to fly. "Thank you."

And the guy exited, leaving me checking if everything was about to survive the chock of take off.

I still had to replace many glass bottles, but otherwise everything was just fine. It wasn't that a surprise, when you knew that more than half of this lab had been created and purchased by Tony.

So, after everything was in its rightful place, I launched the data checks, and started browsing the world's cameras in searches for the "enemy", that mysterious gorgeous god named Loki. I promised myself to get a file about him which didn't only read "public enemy n°1" on it.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

About thirty minutes after take off, I was still waiting for the scientist to take possession of his new home, and still no one was in sight. I had started to think that Fury had decided it better if I wasn't present during meetings. I really hate that guy.

I was about to close to browsing section and call Jarvis for distraction when the door finally opened. This time, I didn't bother, I turned around.

It was Banner. And Tony. Ooh, I could see it from there. Both of them madly clever, and getting along. Earth was going to be Hell. I smiled to both of them.

At first, Banner didn't seem to recognize me, as he gave a quick around glance to the lab, and then his eyes settled on my newly acquired ZZ Top tee shirt, and his eyebrows lifted.

"I know you, right?" He approached me, and, after more than two years without seeing each other, he finally recognized me. "Oh, that's you Liana. I knew you'd make your way up here." He smiled a little shyly, as always, and shook hands with me.

I smiled back. "That's good to see you, Bruce. How are you?"

Tony looked between the both of us and then answered. "Hasn't hulked in a year, apparently. Pretty impressive, eh?"

I nodded. "I'm happy for you. I know how it's difficult for you." Banner seemed to be quickly bored by our conversation so I changed subject. "Why d'you need a lab in the first place?"

He looked around. "The tesseract runs on weak gamma frequencies. Since I'm an expert, I have to settle a giant beam to locate it for us. And Mr Stark will help me."

I turned to Tony and winked. "You couldn't have been assigned a better assistant." Then I watched my watch and felt suddenly really awkward. "What have you talked about when I wasn't there?"

Tony smirked. "Oh, nothing that concerns you. Saving the Earth type of thing."

I punched his arm. "You little dick."

Banner looked at us in surprise. "Well, I see that some of us are really close, then?"

I shrugged. "I was pretty close with Agent Barton too, but it seems that some hot alien has stolen his brain. Which isn't that surprising, when you know the man." I looked blankly at the wall. "I'd better go and harass Phil so he briefs me. See you around, guys!"

And I exited the lab, leaving the two hot-heats alone with their beam.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Steve Rogers' POV**

That Coulson man was so strangely acting around me, it made me feel awkward.

First, I was waking up 60 years after I hit the ground in Arctic. Second, I was hired by a very strange black man wearing an eye patch. Third, I was brought here, on a flying machine I've never thought could ever exist. And fourth, I was now talking with a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent who was apparently my greatest fan. How odd.

I was about to repeat for the thousand time that signing his Captain America cards would be any trouble when a strange lady entered the room.

She was small, that means, smaller than me, yet very muscular. She was wearing a gun at her thigh, as every Agent, but was wearing a tee shirt marked ZZ Top on it, making her look like a teenage from these times. Her hair was dark and spiky, and her eyes were one deep blue.

She smiled to me and walked towards Coulson and I. She outstretched a hand which I shook. "Cpt Rogers, I presume?" I nodded. "Well, I must admit I thought you'd be looking slightly older than you do!"

I smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you, Madam."

She chuckled. "You can call me Liana, I don not bite unless it's necessary." She then turned her gaze to the Coulson man. "Phil, I hope you're not harassing the poor 40s guy?"

I shook my head. "No, he's no trouble, I assure you."

She giggled this time. "If you say so, Cap."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Only one person used to call me that, and it was many days ago...

She seemed oblivious to my frown. "Oh, and, dearest Phil, tell me, what have I missed in here earlier?"

He shrugged. "Nothing much. Banner explained what he needed to Fury and went to his lab with Tasha. Rogers stayed here with me and stared at the sky."

She looked disturbed. "Tasha? When Banner entered the lab, he was with Tony!"

Coulson shrugged again. "I do not know. Maybe she had something else to do."

Miss Liana smiled again. "Like, grieving her boyfriend. God, Clint would hear that he'd be the happiest lad on Earth!"

Then, one machine started bleeping in front of us, and a young man started yelling towards us. "We have a match! Loki's been spotted in Stuttgard ten minutes ago!"

Fury, who I didn't see was watching us from above, looked at me. "Captain, I think that's one mission for you. Ask Agent Romanoff to come with you on jet. And maybe Agent Noname will accompany you."

Liana nodded, visibly happy about it, and bounced in the general direction of the armoury. I myself was driven there by Coulson, who showed me where I'd find my costume.

"I've redesigned it myself." He said before leaving me alone to get dressed.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I was so excited I could barely breathe. I was going on a mission. Me. Miss Noname. Finally Fury put some trust into me. And I wasn't going alone. Cpt Freaking America was there too. Oh good day!

When I first saw his photo, I thought that Steve Rogers looked like a dumb idiot. Literally not interesting. But I had to admit that he was more of a shy person than of a stupid one. Which was perfect.

So, our mission was to intercept Loki in Stuttgart, where he apparently had chosen to go to the opera. Weird choice for an Asgardian. But whatever.

My only concern was what I'd do if I was the one who had to bring him down. I was so weak when I was put in front of someone cute.

Tasha was joining, and, for once, she wasn't openly avoiding me. Good thing. I didn't ask her anything about Clint or the reason why she had been avoiding me like the plague for so long, but she didn't really talk much during the flight. She was more talking with Steve, I noticed. So I just talked to myself most of the time. Or to Jarvis, which was linked to my talkie at anytime. Just in case.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

When we arrived I sight of Stuttgart's opera, what I saw really was one of a kind. The god, Loki, had produced clones, and was now surrounding at least three hundred people on the city's square.

Steve swore between his teeth. "He's not going to be easy to beat, this one."

I turned to him. "I can't make who's the right one. You'll just have to distract him so that he take his clones down. If you need backup, you call on me, I can't die, I'll be there as soon as asked."

He nodded without questioning my assert, and jumped out of the plane's back. I got next to Tasha. "Stay close. I want to see what the man's gonna do so I can analyse his fighting technique."

She just nodded, and it started.

_Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, but you won't have long to wait for the next chap... ^^_


	7. Ooh dear

_ A/N: Oh God, I've already reached that moment. That bugger moment. Well, I hope I get into Loki's head convincingly enough for you... ^^_

**7. Ooh dear**

**Liana's POV**

Steve had reached the square, and had locked eyes with what looked like, to me, the perfect incarnation of Perfection. Except the helmet perhaps.

So, Loki was standing at many places at the same time, always dressed in his god form, golden and dark green armour, with his bluish stick and his golden horned helmet which slicked his raven black hair back on his head.

Tasha caught me staring. "Liana?"

I shook my head to regain a little pride. "That's such a shame. He doesn't look bad at all."

"Shouldn't you stare in a more professional way so that you analyse him?" She lifted her red eyebrows.

I nodded. "Yup. Sorry ma'am."

I stare once more into that sickening handsome face before watching carefully as Steve approached and saved an old man who had stood up before the god. Loki looked very displeased, and I started working.

Steve and his opponent duelled each other for a while, one not bailing in front of the other, who was using his stick too much. Asgardians!

Then Tony suddenly appeared in the sky with the musical background of AC/DC, bless him, and saved the day by sending the God of Mischief on the ground, where he dropped his weapon and made his armour disappear. Under it, he was only wearing a long dark tunic with dark green lines on the front. Still wasn't helping much.

The two Avengers drove the man into the plane, and sat him on the far edge. Then, Tony dropped his mask and made his way towards me.

I smirked to him. "Good choice of music, Mr Stark."

He winked at me and then handed Loki's stick to Tasha. "You'd better watch this during the trip." She caught it and carefully placed it in a crate.

I then remembered that my psychologist work wasn't done yet. So I grabbed a glass of water and carefully made my way to the back of the plane.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

Poor Misgardians. Then really thought they could out-take me with this metal man and this pathetic excuse for a national hero? Me? Loki, Asgardian god and Frost giant? No, they would be very surprised when I got to my plan.

I tried not to smirk when I was sat in a very uncomfortable seat, and even tried to plaster a mask of fear on my face.

That's when the plane's door opened and revealed another human.

No, not another human. A very peculiar human.

The woman was wearing what they call a tee shirt, and on it were written some references to a group of music. Her dark hair (as dark as mine) was spiking on her head, and her blue eyes were almost as piercing as my father's could have been.

The most unusual thing about the woman was that she didn't even look frightened by me when she walked up to me and handed me a glass of water. She then sat herself in front of me, looking at me up and down.

I did the same for a few moments, before she decided to speak up.

"You should drink." Her voice wasn't unpleasant, I should say. But she was just another of Fury's pawns. How could I even feel anything but pity for those creatures?

I shook my head. "I'm not thirsty." I crushed the glass between my fingers and it soon exploded. The women shuddered at the sound, but didn't look at impressed.

She knelt on the floor and started gathering the bits of glass that were now shattered all around the place. I just watched her do it, which permitted me to scan her mind to see if she could be of some use.

I repressed a gasp as I was harshly pushed out of her mind. I stared at her petite form, and she didn't make a move with translated she had known I had tried to scan her.

When she straightened up, I could see that she had wounded her hands many times. She walked up to a bin, washed her hands, wiped the blood off it and came back to sit in front of me.

I must admit I wasn't at all prepared to see her skin close and leave no scar on her hands.

She must have seen my poker face drop, because she smirked. "You're not the only one to be special, Mr Loki." She said the name without spitting it, and without slurring it either. It was just as if she was pronouncing an acquaintance's name.

I nodded, unconvinced. That wasn't because she couldn't be manipulated and wounded that I wouldn't get her in the end.

I started shuddering when the sky suddenly turned pitch black, and thunder and lighting surrounded the plane.

The woman stared at me, then at the sky above, and then back at me. "My name's Liana, by the way. I thought you should know it."

I didn't pay her any attention. Especially when the back door opened, revealed my hated brother who grabbed me and sent me flying towards the ground.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

After Loki disappeared with his "brother" Thor, really looking like the dumb Blondie Clint had described, I returned back to the cockpit and left Tony and Steve deal with the two siblings.

I sat myself before a computer and started typing, barely feeling Tasha's gaze in my back.

"**Data n°89564: Loki (public enemy n°1)**

**Modifications by: 254 Agent Liana Noname**

**Object: psychology file**

**feelings of superiority concerning humans**

**surprise when human can be special**

**pity for humans and their weapons**

**poker face most of the time (except when brother appears, which translated fear)**

**can reach people's mind (tried and failed)**

**doesn't notice the rest of the crew**

**attention soon focused on one thing only**

**acting as humans were burlap bags**

**no information on how enrolled Agent Barton**

**Diagnostic: incomplete: superiority complex compared to his brother (can guess his tries at subduing the Earth are meant to prove his valour)."**

When I was done, Tasha tapped on my shoulder. "Great job. So far."

I nodded thanks and then turned to the screens, which were clearly stating that Tony and Thor were having a tough argument, that Steve was about to reach them, and that Loki was calmly watching the whole scene from a cliff.

"Tasha? I think this one will be the most complex case I've ever studied."

And I grabbed a gun before jumping from the still opened plane door.

_ Review please! :)_


	8. Psychology my ass!

_ A/N: Sorry for the wait. I had to post another story that was quite intoxicating (all those out there who are now obsessing over Jeremy Renner's perfect bottom won't blame me), but now I am back for good! :) Oh, and let's just pretend Thor and Tony's fight lasted really long, yeah?_

**8. Psychology my ass!**

**Liana's POV**

What the Hell had come through my sickened mind at that moment, I won't say 'cause I have no bloody idea. I thought that jumping out of that jet was going to help me get back to where Thor and Tony had left the hot alien boy, but of course, I hadn't had my physics degree yet.

I landed pretty hard, about five miles away from the cliff I could see in the clear night. Broke two ribs and a leg in the process, but I calmly waited until I healed to get up and run as fast as I could towards the point I could hear metal banging against each other.

Except that when, approximatively ten minutes later, I arrived on sight of the two baby boys sending each other fly on trees, I didn't head for them. I could see Steve's parachute not far, and he would handle the situation better than me. So I just turned my back on them and started climbing the little cliff to get to that idiot excuse for a Mischief god called Loki.

I of course scratched one or two fingers and even cut my right forearm deeper, but by the time I got in sight of its Green Highness, everything had vanished. Apart from the stinging pain.

I thought he hadn't noticed me at first, but I was mistaken. He was a god, after all, as much as I would rather convince myself he was just a hot incarnation of Scott Fitzgerald.

"I would have thought you humans would have left me admiring this sight alone." His smooth voice surprised me, as it didn't come from in front of me but behind, and I turned around swiftly to see another Loki standing not inches away, hands in his back, his mesmerizing green eyes locked on my face.

I shrugged. "The mere humans would probably have waited until Iron Man was done with your brother, but I'm no ordinary woman."

He quickly grabbed my right hand, so quickly I didn't see it coming. I sent an eye behind my shoulder, and his clone was still sitting there, watching the fight down the cliff.

His skin was so cold I guessed it wasn't normal, even for a Norse God. Still, as he couldn't freeze me to death, I didn't find the feeling uncomfortable. I just let him wander over my unscarred skin with his quizzical eyes.

Once he was done, he released, or nearly threw my hand back to me would be a better description.

I came to sat by the clone. "Could you see through all four eyes?"

I heard a "swoosh", and I knew the real Loki was now sitting next to me. He didn't unglue his gaze from the booming echo of Mjöllnir shattering wood. "Yes, I could."

I looked down. "Wow." His face turned to me and his eyebrows lifted. I understood the silent question. "That's what we Earth people use to translate our...stun."

He smirked, and I felt as if I was pushing the boundaries, slowly, but still pushing them one by one. "You're _stunned_ by one of my _many_ powers? How impressionable you humans are!" He launched his head back, and released a sound which looked like a mix between a laugh and a moan of pain.

I watched him carefully. "I'm not human, Loki. Not entirely. Which explains some things. And no, I'm not easily impressionable, but as I can hardly focus on two things at the same time, I was merely _appreciating_ your capacity to do it."

He turned his head, or snapped it at me more. This time his eyes were almost furious. "Why are you addressing me like this? _Why_?" I thought he was about to grab my collar or something, to threaten me more, but he and I both knew he couldn't do anything to harm me. Yet.

I looked very deeply into his eyes. "Because there's always more to one story than what you're told."

I got up and waited for him to do so as well, as the three baby boys were making our way towards us. I braced myself for one unwanted encounter.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

That woman was a total riddle. And I _didn't like_ riddles. Usually, I was the one to launch riddles, not to resolve them.

She had come to me. On her own behalf. To talk. Why would anyone on this planet agree to just talk to me? Wouldn't they all want to rip me to shreds for even thinking about subduing this earth?

But no. She had let me examine her pale hand, so warm against my freezing skin, and she had sat with me to talk.

And she wasn't human. What was she then? I knew some of them had some abilities, were born with it, like Beowulf, but some, as this Captain, were just the results of experiences.

Then _what_ was she? And _who_ was she? She had told me her name in that flying metal thing. _Liana_. It wasn't common for a Midgardian.

I was completely lost.

And what she had said, that "there's always more to one story than what you're told". What had she meant thus?

I took my head in my hands to stop these intoxicating thoughts. I had other things to think about that one little woman from Earth. One that would be destroyed as any other.

I lifted my eyes, only to see her standing in front of my hated "brother". Even spitting the word in my mind didn't do justice to my anger.

"Thor, this is Agent Liana, from S.H.I.E.L.D. Liana, this is the almighty Thor, God of Thunder." The metal man introduced them, but in spite of the handshaking I expected, the woman, Liana, just nodded to him.

I tilted my head and prevented myself to smirk. What was that? Was it possible that I had _finally_ encountered someone who wasn't seduced by Thor's godlikeness?

The Captain made me rise, and soon after she was back at my side, looking at me in what I assumed was a friendly way. Though I could see a little analyse behind it too.

The metal flying machine appeared in front of us and, once again, I was sat in that back seat. Except this time, Liana didn't stay with me.

And it surprised me when I found out that it bothered me.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

_Thor_. Duh. What Clint had told me wasn't all wrong, after all. He did look like a complete idiot, but I could see that, under the shell, he wasn't a bad guy. He was just so certain to be more powerful, more handsome and more wanted than anyone else that it made him insufferable.

I didn't stay in the cabin with Loki this time. I wanted to know what would be the result to the first friendly conversation he'd had in years, I suppose.

All I could do was register the physical data I had analysed as he was scanning my hand.

First, he wasn't looking bad, that's for sure, but I could see he had been tortured, if not recently, sometime ago. His lips were scarred as if someone had put a hedgehog on his face, and his forehead was wrinkled in the moonlight. For the rest, apart from his cold skin, I hadn't had the time nor the opportunity to see anything else.

As much as he was threatening my home planet, I was dangerously starting to feel compassion for Loki. Compassion mixed with the strangest feeling of...longing? I couldn't put a finger on it.

As I sat next to Tasha, who was piloting the jet back to HQ, I overheard Thor talking with Steve.

"My brother is a criminal on Asgard. He's under my jurisdiction, and I will bring him back!"

I snapped my head at the very tall Blondie under steroids. "A criminal? Is that how you Asgardians call their siblings?" I hadn't noticed I had gotten up, but it was of no use as I was as tall as Clint, that means not much. In front of me, the Norse mountain could have been intimidating.

Except he was currently stunned I had addressed him like that.

I took my chance to go on. "As much as I'm sure Loki has done you wrong, I don't think you are as heartless as to wish your own brother a sentence as painful as I'm sure your kind reserve him!"

Thor looked down at me. "He is no brother of mine. Loki isn't an Asgardian."

Steve put a hand on my shoulder as he joined my side. "What do you mean?"

"That the monster that is currently your prisoner is no god. He is a Frost Giant, adopted by my father at birth so he could be a link between Asgard and Jotunheim."

I didn't know what was a Frost Giant, but I could guess that explained the cold skin. It didn't change the fact that my own body heat was rising dangerously. "As much as he isn't your flesh and blood, haven't you been raised together? Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Steve squeezed my shoulder. Thor just locked his ice-blue eyes on mine. "Lady Liana, I can assure you I forget nothing, but Loki is mad."

That was enough for my nerves. I shoved Steve off my shoulder and slammed the cabin door behind me as I escaped to the one place I'd find peace.

That surprisingly was where Loki was sitting at that moment.

Looking at me with a smirk playing on his lips.

"You shouldn't be trying to defend me so heartily."

I let myself fall next to him. "I think I do not like your brother."

His smirk widened. "You're the first person I meet to say so."

I turned to watch his face. He was looking down, as if avoiding my gaze. "What have you done, back there?"

His eyes snapped on mine and we remained silent for a while, as I assumed he was scanning me to gauge whether or not he wanted to answer that question.

After a while, he turned away and sighed. "I...tried to kill Thor."

My eyes widened. "Why?"

"Because...I do not know, actually. I've always thought it was either an impulse or revenge for the fact he was the rightful heir, but I do not know why anymore." He turned his face to mine, and I saw he wasn't lying. At least I could tell. I was trained to.

I surprised myself by putting a comforting hand on his. At first, he was as surprised as I, and kept staring at our skins touching, before he lifted his chin again.

I swallowed before speaking again. "I hope it does help you to know. I don't know if I wouldn't have turned mad myself if I had learned in the most vicious way I wasn't who I had always thought to be."

His green eyes widened, and for a second, I thought I saw them turn to red. "You do not believe what you're saying. That's just a _trick_ you're playing. What do you want?" He didn't yell, but the way he said it was more poisonous than a snake's bite.

I got up and planted a fist on the plane's metal. "I do not play tricks with you, Loki, Frost Giant. I am trying to tell you that you're not lost." I turned back to face him, and behind the apparent anger, I could see he was fighting something else. "You're _not_ lost! Whatever those "Chintorris" did to you" I walked up and ghostly touched his scars above his mouth, "you'll only be lost on the day you decide to stop fighting."

And, before I got back into the cockpit, I stole a glance over my shoulder. "And believe me, I do not want you to stop fighting."

When I closed the door behind me, I distinctively heard his scream. A painful, heartbreaking scream. And I knew I had reached the chore of the problem. Loki wasn't loved.

Well, that could change.

_Review, please please please! :)_


	9. Suspicion from above

_ A/N: As some of you might have seen, I finally was able to move this story from Thor to Avengers, where it truly belongs... ^^ Oh, and I advise you to buy the movie's OST, it's purely Starkilicious... :D_

**9. Suspicion from above**

**Liana's POV**

I was angry. For many reasons. I was angry because Tasha had barely addressed me a word after we landed, which meant she had something unpleasant to tell me. I was angry because I hadn't managed to get any informations on Clint's whereabouts from Loki. I was angry because Thor was a slap-face. I was angry because Tony had told me to go kill some mannequins before Hulk had to knock me down. And more than anything, I was angry because Loki wasn't anything I was prepared to face.

How could I end his life if I was ordered to? Now that I had circled his problem, mainly resumed in a huge lack of attention all his life, he had nothing of the heartless monster Fury had described. He was almost nice, actually.

Apart from a certain lack of politeness, of course. But I didn't blame him. Having been raised as a superior species to every other must have left marks.

The part that was the most disturbing in all of that was that I couldn't make where my allegiances laid. With S.H.I.E.L.D, though they had nothing but disregard for me? With Tony, who had been my more than a faithful friend since the beginning? With Clint, who was definitely more than a friend to me? Or with Loki, who was a mystery as never encountered before, and was far more handsome than permitted?

It was the first time in ages I had found myself able to think about that. _Physical desire_. I was always assuming I was too old for anyone contemporary to me, and yet here I was, meeting a thousand-year-old Norse God, and falling for his eyes.

I kicked the sandbag once more, very hard, but my strength was nowhere near Steve's, so it did only shudder faintly.

Out of rage, I pulled my favourite dagger from under my shirt, and whirled in every direction possible until my "enemy" was left bleeding on the floor. I made the blade twirl once or twice between my fingers, and then I launched myself in the air to grab a parallel bar and climb to the ceiling.

When I reached it, I pushed one of the plackets and soon found one of Clint's practise bows. I took it down.

Just taking it in my hands was a torture. Clint had been so much for me. He had taught me so much. And he was the only one here to trust me completely and insanely. Not even Tony could say that.

As I sat on the ground, holding the bow like a relic, images came flooding my mind.

_o°o°oFlashback°o°o°_

It had been my first field mission. It was also the last one.

Fury had assigned both Clint and I to infiltrate the Kremlin and to retrieve to journal of Johannes Schmidt, the famous Red-Skull. The Russians had no right on it, but we had to be as discreet as possible to prevent a world war.

Unfortunately for us, we weren't the only one to seek the journal. A neo-group of Hydra had risen in Germany, and Schmidt's heirs wanted the book so badly.

Clint had done his best, as always. He was jumping in every direction, firing without thinking, and I was there, like an idiot, unable to do anything but wait for an enemy to come on close fight.

The first one had tried to shoot me in the head. It didn't work. When he saw I wasn't dead, he shouted something to his talkie and some chief yelled back, his voice cracking from the distance.

I hadn't seen it coming. I was knocked out in one blurry moment, and the last thing I saw was a dozen men assaulting Clint.

When I was awaken by a charming bucket of freezing water, I was kindly told I was going to be tortured and analysed, both out and in. The thought of being dissected alive made me shiver so hard I thought I was going to blackout out of fear.

But of course, he came for me. The Hawk, as discreet as a shadow and as striking as a snake.

When he released me, I had already disgusted the pleasure to have all of my fingers broken one by one, to see how long it took me to heal.

They didn't understand my mutation. If my flesh and organs regenerated automatically, my bones couldn't snap themselves alone.

Clint had to do it. To break them all again and to push them back into place. He had given me an arrow to bite, and after the excruciating pain, he had held me in his arms until I stopped shuddering.

Then we had talked. A lot. I had told him everything about my missing past, about my fears and losses, and he had done the same.

I can assure you that the little esteem I felt for Natasha had to heal slowly after that, because it had been seriously amputated.

Clint, from that day on, had been much more than a friend. He was my confident. He was the one I knew I could relieve on in any kind of mission.

_And I failed him._

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Tasha's POV**

The _bastard_. He thought I didn't know what he was playing at? Of course he wanted something else from us than just talking head to head with Fury.

And I had been caught like a college girl. I hated the feeling.

I must admit I freaked out quite a bit, also.

The only time I had feared something that much, it was when Banner had faked anger on me in India.

This time was different. How could I ever praise my thoughts off it? Vivid images of Clint torturing me, his gorgeous eyes torn by both rage and madness, were invading me as I walked back to the lab.

He would pay for what he had done to him. To me. To _us_.

And _she_ would too. As much as Liana pretended herself to be an ally, I had seen how she had looked at him. And I couldn't let that happen.

Loki wouldn't know what it's like to be loved.

For the simple reason that he had stolen my loved one from me.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

What a pleasant encounter. So bad the Russian spy had finally discovered my plan to make the beast angry.

But I had managed to creak the surface. So it was true then, what I had seen in Barton's mind. They were bonded. Really strongly. Fine. It would only make my victory more fun.

I was about to sit back down when I felt it.

No, not it. _Her_.

I turned on my heels and smirked from ear to ear.

Liana was standing in front of me, her dark head tilted on one side, as if she was gauging the moment.

I walked towards the glass, and she did the same.

We were then inches away from each other, only separated by the cell's wall. And I felt something tickling in my fingers. Like an...urge to touch her.

She cut my disturbing thoughts once more. "How are you?"

Again that tone of friendliness. I still didn't know what to do about it.

'I don't want you to stop fighting.' Those words were dancing before my eyes.

"I'm fine. See, I've been offered my own room! Isn't that lovely?" I embraced the place with my arms.

She chuckled. It rang in my ears. "Yeah. Times cosier than my own quarters." She sat on the chair the Romanoff girl had left in front of me. "You seem troubled."

I snapped my eyes back at Liana. "What do you mean, troubled?"

She shrugged. "I can usually tell when people are thinking about hundreds of things at the same time."

I knelt so my head was levelled with hers. "I am always thinking about hundreds things at the same time." I put a hand on my temple. "And it's killing me."

She put a hand on the glass. "You don't have to suffer alone, you know." I widened my eyes in wonder. "I know you have tried to scan my mind, back on that plane."

This time I really dropped my poker face. "How?"

She smirked. "I am very smart."

I smirked back. "Indeed, you are, Miss Liana" she beamed at the sound of her name, "but so was my wife, and she never felt when I was scanning her."

When she heard "wife", Liana frowned imperceptibly. I wondered why, but she didn't leave me question myself too long. "You have a wife back on Asgard?"

I gestured the thought away. "Not anymore. She asked for divorce. It was arranged by our parents, and I've never been best at feelings."

She got down her chair and knelt in front of me. "I really want to help you. Why don't you let me?"

I didn't know what to say, so I just asked the first question that came into my mind, without thinking, and that was very new for me. "Why d'you want to help me? I am your enemy. Why would you help someone who's trying to rip you to pieces?"

She put a hand on mine through the glass and I could almost feel her warmth. "There can be only one reason. But I'll leave that riddle to you."

She then got up very quickly, put a hand to her ear, and I could guess she was communicating with her kind. "Sir?"

"_Agent Noname, we have an intrusion. Make sure our guest is secured and join me in the armoury._" I recognized the voice of their chief, Fury.

"Understood." She turned her head to me and smiled sincerely. "Try not to escape before I come back." And she ran out of my sight.

I sighed. What was that woman doing to me? Why was she helping me? Why didn't she want me lost? Why didn't she want me to stop fighting? And why, oh why, was my hand still on that glass, where hers had been seconds before?

_Review please!_


	10. Flesh and bones

_A/N: Hello everyone! First, I had to thank you all for the massive amount of people who put alert on this story since yesterday. It really is a treat to be read and appreciated._

_ Second, I wanted to answer to some critics I received tonight._

_Plot holes:__ Yes, I am awfully aware that I left too a big part of the movie behind, but I found it really difficult not to do so as there aren't many Loki scenes in this, you'll agree that's a shame._

_POV:__ I like to enter the head of characters. That's how I conceive a story. So, yeah, it might be a little confusing, but I assure you that in my mind it's clear as water. And I like to imagine what the other characters might think of my OCs._

_Mary-Sue:__ I hate doing that. Really do. But apparently, I'm only good when I put up a completely insanely perfectly boring character. Which does say much since no one can be as awesome as Loki or Hawkeye (I do obsess a little too much on Jeremy since I watched Ghost Protocol)._

_Third-person writing:__ I assure you, I suck when I try to write on third-person. Even in my mother tongue that's impossible. I feel as if I'm not part of the story, which is a total paradox. Maybe on another story, promised._

_ That's it for now, now get to read, people! :)_

**10. Flesh and bones**

**Liana's POV**

I was making my way to the armoury, as planned, when I literally bumped into three mercenaries. I knew they couldn't be S.H.I.E.L.D's employees, those usually stepped aside when seeing me in the corridors.

The closest to me aimed his gun. I received the bullet right between my eyes.

My head fell back, and I saw nothing for a second or two. That's wasn't my favourite way of dying, but it wasn't as painful as strangulation or drowning.

When I lifted my head back, the man shouted something I couldn't comprehend into his talkie.

He fell back one second after, choking in his own blood. I drew my dagger more firmly in my hand and tilted my head to the side.

"So, who wants to taste it next?"

The second one nodded to the third, who drew out a dagger twice as long as mine, and curved in a perfect way to leave awful scars on a tortured one.

I grinned devilishly and hissed.

I had forgotten what it was like to defend yourself.

_o°o°oFlashback°o°o°_

It had happened not so long after Clint had saved me. I had lusted revenge like a obsession, and nothing he or Tony could have told me changed that. One of the bastards who had kidnapped me was still alive, and I had craved his head.

One day, Fury left me go on permission. I didn't leave the time to tell me how long I could go, and took a motorcycle, direction Vegas.

No time to watch the surroundings, though.

I had found him after four hours of intensive researches. And I had gotten him as easily as he had gotten me.

He died after five hours of torture. These hours are still a blur. I vaguely remember breaking fingers and knees, bleeding lips and cut thumbs. I don't want to remember the rest.

When Clint had finally found me, I was a killer.

A heartless killer, who had killed a man as slowly and as bitchily as one can.

I couldn't stare at myself in the mirror for more than two months. It took all of my will and many training hours to expel this feeling of waste off my head.

But it doesn't change a thing.

I had still blood on my hands.

And not only that man's.

The blood of dozen more men. All killed in cold blood.

Who knows, finally, why I had been imprisoned in Birkenau?

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I walked past the three bodies and transmitted their positions to the command hall. Hill quickly stated that Clint had just fired explosive arrows in the place and had virused another rotor. We were falling.

I put a hand to my ear. "Tony? Do you read me, Tony?"

I heard a choke. "_I'm busy, honey. Later on, maybe._" I heard him growl.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"_Saving your pretty ass, actually. I'm trying to make rotor three work again._"

"By pushing?" I chuckled.

"_'Course. Like an old car._"

I huffed as I saw other black figures entering my sight. "I must leave you, I have visitors. Try not to get killed, right?"

"_As always, love._"

I wiped my dagger on my shirt and walked to my new enemies.

I was stopped dead when one of them raised a hand and gestured them away. "No. This one's for me."

I choked. "Clint?"

The figure turned around.

It was Clint Barton. Except he had nothing left of my friend.

His eyes were the same blue as Loki's staff.

He drew out an arrow. "So, Liana, happy to see me?"

I shook my head. "Haven't missed you for a sec."

His head tilted in a way the true Clint's would never.

And he attacked.

His first arrow missed me by an inch, as I jumped aside at the last second, but his second didn't. I received it right in the chest.

It took me two seconds to take the arrow off me, and three more to stop bleeding.

I showed him my teeth. "Right, Birdy, now I'm angry." And I jumped, wrapped myself around a plumbing tube, and launched my legs on his face.

He just stepped aside and threw his fist on my face.

We started battling each other, him unreservedly, me a little more – it still was Clint after all – until he wrapped his hands around my neck and started strangling me.

Great. My best friend was now using his knowledge of me against me.

He knew I hated to be choked to death. He just knew it.

But he also knew that it was the one death that gave me more than five minutes to recover. Until my lungs and heart decided to work again.

I was vainly trying to shove him off me, but his whole strength was focused on his hands' work, and his eyes were so disturbing I didn't pull too much.

Suddenly, he looked blankly on his right, as if he had received an order, and he let me go, leaving me coughing on the ground.

He took my bow at my feet and just walked away.

What-?

_o°o°o°o°o°_

After that strange encounter, I ran to the armoury. What I saw there wasn't the most pleasant sight you'd imagine.

Hulk had been invited, after all.

I watched as the green giant assaulted Thor once more, vainly as Mjöllnir sent him flying on a plane.

Poor Bruce. He had tried so hard. And now he was ripping the whole ship to pieces.

I pushed a hand to my ear. "Colonel Fury, do you read me?"

I heard some cracks before he finally answered. "_Agent Noname. What is your current location?_"

"I am in the armoury, sir. Thor and Banner are having a tough argument. Should I interfere?"

"_No. I am coming your way. Join me in the prototype room._"

I didn't answer and carefully made my way towards the said room, across from where Hulk was now having trouble lifting the god's hammer.

It didn't take me long to get inside, dagger in hand, prepared for everything.

Fury reached me in the middle of the room. We were surrounded by Hydra's equipment.

"Sir?"

He put a hand in front of his face. I understood the move. Don't interrupt.

"Agent Noname, we have a serious problem. Your...analyse of our guest hasn't been seen well by most of the crew." As if I wasn't already hated by everyone on board. "Agent Romanoff, especially, has spoken her concern to me. She fears that you get drawn to the man and forget your initial mission. I want this to be water clear. Your mission is to take him down. By any means necessary. If you ever are seen talking to him without my direct permission, you will be considered compromised and will be hunted down. Am I understood?"

I straightened. "Can I speak, sir?"

He nodded briefly. "You can."

"My mission is to take him down, I got it. Any means necessary. You've once agreed that my methods were not discussable. I know why Loki's the way he is, and I can't let you destroy the shit out of him on this assertion alone that he is a monster. You forget who I am, sir, and where I come from. What Natasha tells you is only her own fear that she won't be able to finish Barton down if she has to. You can't take her advice as holy."

He nodded. "I do understand your point. Your report on the subject, however, has been very short, and you've been seen being friendly with the enemy more than once since he surrendered."

I shook my head. "I'm not friendly to him. I understand him. I'm a psychologist. My mission is to make him feel better. You can't refuse me that."

He nodded once more. "Can I then know what is your plan?"

I shrugged. "I'm escaping with him." His eye widened. "You can't expect a Norse God to just watch as his men bring this ship down and not escaping. As we are speaking, Loki is already most probably out of his cell. I'm going with him. I'll try to reason him. If it doesn't work, I'll still be able to take him down by distraction."

Fury looked more than suspicious about that last part. "Distraction?"

I smirked. "You know I can't reveal what's been told in consultation, sir."

He started walking back from where he came from. "You just keep your uniform on, so we can locate you."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good luck, Dr Liana." And he disappeared.

I heard another explosion. Coming from outside the ship.

Maybe it was time to rejoin my patient.

For once, I was glad. Fury didn't trust me on this, but at least he left me a chance.

Though there weren't wrong. I was compromised. I've been since the very beginning.

How could you ask me to take that man down? When he had been broken in such a similar manner as I had been?

No, Loki wouldn't die. He would live. And I would make sure of that.

_Hope this one helped you understand Liana a little more._

_ I'm aware there are still many things you ignore about her, which I intend to reveal in the next two chapters._

_ I also announce that this story won't end with the movie. Bless the heavens._

_ Review? Please?_


	11. Glimpses of one past

_A/N: Goodness me! What had come into my mind when I decided to watch Miss Austen's regrets? And not knowing Tom was in it? God I completely melted again. And, as you could guess, I have to recenter myself around someone less cute than John Plumptre. That is, Loki. Less cute because less innocent, but thousand times sexier. Bugger._

**11. Glimpses of one past**

**Loki's POV**

Poor Midgardians. They so believed in that heroic concept. Their whole planet was relieving on the existence of five mere humans, and my dear brother. How could that end well for them?

When I escaped that cage and sent Thor flying towards his loved grounds, I didn't intend at first to kill the man called Coulson. I really didn't. Well, first because he wasn't the threatening kind, and second because I didn't need to.

But the part of me that lusted for blood just overtook the rest, and I can still feel his warm blood on my spear and fingers.

Maybe Liana was wrong. Maybe I was lost.

I slowly got up from where I had been launched by his destructor gun, a burning hole in my stomach where my armour had melted. I passed a hand over it and the illusion made me look unwounded.

I really had to get out of there before someone took advantage of my situation.

Of course I couldn't pray for someone else than Liana to come bursting into the room, and stopping in front of the man's body. He was still breathing, and she knelt in front of his form.

"Phil? Oh my god Phil can you hear me?"

The man coughed. "Liana? Well, I can't say you were the one I hoped to die next to." He tried to chuckle but failed.

"Who did that to you?" She was pushing her hand to the wound, though it didn't help, of course. For a moment, I would have almost felt guilty about killing someone. Almost.

"Who do you think? Your horny boyfriend!"

Liana huffed. "I don't have a boyfriend, and if you're referring to Loki, I can promise you I'll kick his ass for this." She put a comforting hand on his cheek. "I will miss you, Agent Coulson."

He chuckled once again. "And I you, Agent Noname. Promise me to finally get these cards signed, eh?"

She kissed his forehead. "I swear I will."

She got up and very slowly turned on her heels towards me.

So she knew I was standing there from the beginning.

Seeing her blue eyes filled with tears made my heart sink.

I retreated in the shadows and thought about running away.

Then I remembered I had nothing to fear. I was Loki, God of Mischief and Lies, and no one could hurt me.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

Why?

Why had he done that?

Tears began streaming down my cheeks as I hurried towards where Loki's figure had just disappeared. I knew he had been watching. And I also knew he felt bad. I could see it in eyes from the distance.

Still, why did he do it?

Who on Earth would kill Phil Coulson, the kindest S.H.I.E.L.D agent ever born?

I sniffed once or twice and wiped my tears away, before bursting into the launch hangar.

He was there, quickly pacing towards a plane, a hand on his stomach.

My heart dropped.

Loki was wounded.

I started running.

When I reached the said plane, the doors were already closing. When I got in and nearly got crashed by it, Loki turned on his heels and took a defensive posture.

I stared into his green eyes for what looked like ages.

Then I walked to him very carefully, and pulled his hand off his stomach.

There was no trace of wound, still, when I touched it, he winced. Hard. And the second time, he fell on his knees.

I fell next to him and pushed a hand to his forehead. He was boiling. "Loki! You are feverish!"

He looked into my eyes again. "Why would you care?"

I sighed and slapped him right on the face.

Surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he smirked. "That hurt."

I sadly smirked back. "You deserved it. While I'm watching over you, you'd better thing of a good excuse to kill someone as lovely as Coulson. And please remove that illusion from your wound so I can take care of it."

He looked at me, stunned, and then winced when the illusion disappeared.

Ooh. So Phil had used his toy. The destructor gun they had invented after Thor's visit on Earth. It was burning as hot as a sun, only on one point precisely.

That meant Loki's skin wasn't in a good state. At all.

When I tried to lift his tunic from it, he left himself fall on the plane's ground.

I leaned over him. "Aren't you supposed to heal faster than us?"

He winced again. "Not that fast, I'm afraid."

I smirked again and then got up to open the emergency kit.

While I was taking care of the burns, Loki gazed into my eyes more than once. But it was only when I finally finished the last bandage that he decided to speak. "I'm sorry. For the man. Coulson. I didn't intend to kill him at first."

I snapped my head to him, and I could tell he was sincere. I sighed. "I wish it was simple."

He tilted his head on one side, still lying. "You wish what was simple?"

I sighed again and came to lie next to him. My hand was inches from his, but he didn't make a move to take mine, nor did I do it for him. "Remember that night? In front of your cell?"

He turned his head to me, his eyes tearing between cold as ice and quizzical. "I remember a lot of things from that night."

I smirked. "Remember when I told you I noticed when you tried to scan my mind?" He nodded. "I want you to do it again. For a reason. I want you to scan my mind for particular memories I'd guide you towards. I want you to know why I am doing this. Partly."

His eyes just glued to mine. "You want me to enter your privacy, your personal space, to show me memories you could tell me about?"

This time, I didn't hesitate. I grabbed his hand and forcibly intertwined our fingers. "Yes."

He looked at our hands for a second, and then back on my face. "Close your eyes."

I did as he asked.

I didn't even feel it until I knew he was there.

No one could have had an aura as both dark, white and blue as him.

I sent him the first memory.

_o°o°oMemory°o°o°_

My first memory ever.

_ As I snapped my eyes open, two things struck me at once. First, I was naked. Two, there wasn't a part of my body that wasn't burning with pain. As if someone had operated me without anaesthetics._

_ I lifted my head and watched my hands. There weren't any scars on it, not a single wound. And the rest of my body was similarly intact._

_ I watched myself more closely. Where was I?_

_ No, more important: who was I?_

_ I searched for a tiny tip, even the tiniest. There, on my left wrist, were tattooed numbers. 894623. What did they mean?_

_ I searched everywhere else._

_ And then I found it. The locked. Around my neck._

_ I pulled on it and examined it._

_ There. A writing. "To my dearest Liana."_

_ That's it. My name's Liana._

_ That still didn't know where I was. And was I was still burning inside like a thousand houses._

_ As I got up, I quickly grabbed a sort of greenish cloak hanging on a patter, and searched the rest of the room._

_ I soon found a newspaper. I eagerly looked at the date. 5th May 1978._

_ At least I knew when I was._

I chose to end it there.

_o°o°oMemory°o°o°_

_1986. I was pacing in London's darkest streets at night, wearing only short jeans and a tee shirt. I should have sensed it coming._

_ They were five. One of them had a baseball bat. Tried to knock me out with it. Except I dodged it with a reflex I didn't know I had._

_ They decided to get me down all at the same time._

_ I didn't remember it well since that moment I had to show it to him._

_ What it had been like._

_ Their screams. His screams as I tore his throat apart using his pocket knife. The other's screams as I knocked him so hard with the bat his skull was done._

_ The three others, when they had drown out a gun and shot me with it._

_ The pain, and then the light. I was alive still._

_ The growl as it came through me._

_ The blood on my hands as I ran away from the corpses, gun still firmly held in my grip._

I felt tears wetting the floor under me.

_o°o°oMemory°o°o°_

_ The first time someone had ever rejected me had been in the early nineties._

_ For a reason I still couldn't understand, I wasn't aging, or dying in any way possible._

_ After I killed those five lads, I had tried to drown myself, then to hang, even to burn me alive. But nothing worked._

_ That day, I was out at a cafe in Glasgow._

_ A little girl came to play next to my table, using two singular dolls. One was that of a man with metal claws, and the other of a woman with her body covered in what seemed like diamonds._

_ I glared at her. "Who are these, love?"_

_ She had smiled to me very fondly. "They are heroes. They are mutants."_

_ I had raised my eyebrows. "Mutant? What is that?"_

_ "People with powers."_

_ I had looked at my hands in wonder. "Mutants? Wow. Do you know any?"_

_ She shook her head. "Mum doesn't want me to talk to them. They are bad. Only these two are good, because they aren't real. Mum says that a mutant tried to kill the Queen once. They are bad."_

_ "They aren't all bad, I'm sure."_

_ Then, a woman old enough to be her grandmother walked to the girl and pulled her in her arms. "What are you doing, Penny?"_

_ The girl pointed at me. "She was asking me about mutants. I think she is one. She is old."_

_ I thought about laughing at that statement, but I swallowed it back._

_ Around us, people had turned their heads to stare at me._

_ I hadn't been aware that an attempt to destroy Edinburgh had occurred on the same morning._

_ The cafe owner had walked to me very quickly, and had shoved me away._

_ "You can't stay here. Go! We don't want your kind in here!"_

And I never knew how the girl had known I was a mutant.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I opened my eyes on the plane's ceiling. I numbly felt another skin touching mine, and then I remembered I was still squeezing Loki's hand.

I turned my head to face him.

His green eyes were so full of suffering I loathed myself for putting that up.

But it was a needed pain.

Once he was ready, he turned his head to me. Nothing in his posture was the same as before. He wasn't the same Loki who had killed Phil without thinking. He wasn't the same Loki who had cursed Clint. He was just Loki, and he looked very vulnerable.

"You've suffered so much. You don't even know who you are." He was whispering, but his smooth voice was crystal clear to me. "You don't know who you are, and yet you are here. You are part of this Initiative, with people who will never trust you because they can't know what you've done." He lifted our hands to his chest and put my hand in both his. "And you hate yourself. For those people you killed in cold blood." A single tear appeared at the corner of his eye.

I leaned in and kissed it, tasting the salt in it. "I wanted you to see that. You and I aren't that different, Loki. And I'm still fighting for redemption."

He sat up and pulled me next to him. "I can't stop what I started. The Chintorris will come. I can't end this now."

I put my free hand on his cheek. "I know. I understood that ages ago." He seemed to be gazing into thin air. "You know, I've never really seen you."

His eyes locked back on mine. "Seen me? I am not an illusion!"

I chuckled. "You're a Frost Giant. I can guess having a skin as cold as ice isn't your only attribute."

He sighed. "You don't want to see _that_."

I shook my head. "I do. Please."

The cockpit door then opened and the cursed pilot turned his electric blue eyes to us. "Sir? We are in sight of the Stark tower."

I lifted my eyebrows at Loki. "Tony's tower? Well, at least I know where I'll find something to eat." I smirked though not heartily, and got up to fasten my seatbelt for landing.

Loki stared at me, and I guessed his mind was racing on whether or not he could end this war.

_I know this chapter turned a little fluffier than usual, and I hope I haven't read too much OOC in it... :s_

_ I've always seen Loki as a caring character, as long as he could see past your mind and know if you were sincere. I really am glad I know who I am and where I come from. That would be hell to live what Loki and Liana have lived._

_ Review please! :)_


	12. Jarvis

_ A/N: Sorry, readers, for not updating in an awful while, but I unfortunately had a lot of work to do for school, and I had to go back to the cinema to watch our favourite movie of the year for a third time... I can't express my feelings whenever Tom's on screen. ^^_

**12. Jarvis**

**Liana's POV**

The plane couldn't land on the tower's roof, so it just opened the back door for us to jump. The ground was at least eight meters down.

Loki came next to me, his sceptre firmly held in his hand. "Will you be okay?"

I turned to gaze at him. "It will hurt at first, but I will recover in a few seconds."

He nodded. "I'll try to catch you." And he jumped in the air, twisting his weight as would have done a feline, and he gracefully landed on his two feet.

He then turned his head towards the sky and me, and opened his arms in invite.

I chuckled and shook my head. "My goodness, Li, what have you buried yourself into?" And I launched myself towards the ground.

Of course I wasn't a cat, I couldn't have landed on my feet without breaking all my leg bones. So I wasn't that worried when I understood that I would have landed on my back.

Except Loki was there. I felt a force restraining my fall, and I decelerated until I landed, yes, but in his arms.

His smirk was the most charming thing I'd ever seen. "Told you I'd catch you."

I shook myself out of his grip. "You said you'd try."

"And I did." He then turned on his spot to watch the scene around him.

I heard a buzzing sound and lifted my gaze. There, on the very top of the tower, was Eric Selvig. And he was building up that machine that would open a portal between two worlds.

I couldn't stop any of it, so I just turned to Loki.

He had walked towards Tony's terrace, and was judging one chair's fabric before sitting in it, facing Manhattan.

I came to face him. "So? What now?"

"Now, we wait." He then tilted his head to the left. "I thought you were hungry."

I chuckled. "Oh, that's so sweet. You're worried about my human starvation."

He smirked. "No, I was trying to get rid of you."

I slapped him on the shoulder. "You liar." And I turned on my heels to get into the tower. I knew Jarvis would let me in. He had no reasons to refuse me.

Still, I carefully pushed a hand to the glass door, half expecting it to stay locked, before it moved on its hinges, and I was standing in Tony's living-room.

I locked my gaze on the empty air. "Jarvis?"

I heard a bleep. "Welcome, Miss Liana. I wasn't expecting you."

I chuckled. "And why so, Jarvis?"

"There have been rumours Miss. Rumours that you weren't on my master's side anymore."

I calmly walked to the door leading to Tony and Pep's kitchen. "I will never stop being on Tony's side, Jarvis, you can trust me on this one."

"I thought so. But may I still add that the way you are gazing at this alien isn't objective Miss. You might be compromised."

I opened the fridge doors and grabbed a pack of carrots. "That I am, Jarvis. I am compromised. But do not fear, I still know who I am fighting for."

The house stayed silent, while I was chewing the carrots, merely acknowledging the loud bleep that suddenly came from a phone hanging on the wall. Fortunately, Jarvis was always there to take a message.

"Miss Liana, Mister Barton would like to talk to you."

I bolted upright. "Clint? But, isn't he still cursed?"

"Apparently not, Miss. He is using some swearing words I am not authorized to repeat."

I walked to the phone. "Thanks Jarvis." I hanged it out. "Clint?"

I heard a growl. "_What the Hell were you thinking, Li?_"

I sighed in relief. "Oh, goodness, if you're able to lecture me, that means you're in one piece."

I heard him sigh too. "_Of course I am. You can thank Nat for that. But it doesn't change a thing! Why are you -_"

I cut him. "Fury didn't tell you? I am under cover. Clint, I could have stopped this, you know. Loki and I are...not so different. And I think you know it."

He sighed again. "_Yes, I thought you would figure that out. Are you still with us?_"

"I am with you. I'll always be with you, you know that. But it doesn't change the fact that I feel like I have to save him from himself, do you understand?"

"_Do you like him?_" His disgusted tone hurt me. "_Do you like him, Li?_"

I sighed. "I think I do, yes."

"_Then you'd better brace yourself, 'cause there's no way on bloody Earth that I'm not making him suffer for what he did to both me and Nat!_"

I sighed. "I'll try not to be in the area when it happens." But I swore myself internally that it would never happen. Then it reached me. "And how did you know I'd be in here anyway?"

I heard a chuckle that didn't come from Clint. "_Dear Banner found out the location of the cosmic cube, but I still had to use my awesomely high intellect to figure where it was, since the poor man turned green before he could tell us._"

I smiled. "Tony."

"_Hey, Noname. Hope you haven't raped my whole fridge._"

I watched behind me. "Carrots?"

Short silence. "_Eat them all._"

"Where are you all?"

"_We're coming your way, darling. Natasha, Clint and Captain Stars are coming in jet, and I am myself not far from you right now. Have you brought your boyfriend to the party?_"

I sighed. "Since he was the one to throw it."

"_Stay in the kitchen. I wouldn't want you to get hurt if he decides to get all Asgardian on me, and I feel obliged to scar his pretty face._"

"Tony!"

"_Wha'? I can kick asses, even god ones!_"

I chuckled. "But not that one. I still have to work on that. You'd never know, he could still come back to the right side."

"_Okay, Master Yoda, bored now. I've arrived, see ya!_"

I put the phone back on the wall as quickly as I could, and rushed into the living-room.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

Bloody hell. How could Liana fall so easily in this trap?

Loki was such a horrible bastard I couldn't even imagine myself facing him without ripping his head into pieces.

And there she was, waving her white flag in the air, invoking some useless power of persuasion. As if she could persuade someone _that_ mad that he was a good man.

Loki wasn't a good man. And he'd never be.

"Clint? You okay?"

I shook my head and turned my sight to Nat. "Yeah, I'm alright. I was just thinking about Li's idiocy."

"I'm sure she'll come to her senses. Who tells you she hasn't been cursed as well?"

I shrugged. "She's a mutant. Guess her body would push the poison away anyway, so no, she's not cursed. I think she knows what she's doing, and that's frightening."

Rogers came to stand by us. "At least she sounded very relieved you were okay."

I smirked. "Yeah. Guess that's the privilege of having saved her butt a thousand times."

I lost myself in thoughts once again.

I knew why she was doing this. _Of course_ I did.

I was the one who had found her after _that_. I was the one to whom she had confided.

Liana thought she was a monster. Only normal she wanted to persuade another monster that they could save each other.

"Shit! Nat, boost the engines, we have to get there before Li does something she will regret!"

She didn't ask any questions before pushing several buttons before her.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

Pathetic metal man. He thought he could destroy my whole army on his own. But he was so wrong. Their team was so shattered. I was so going to win this.

I heard a bouncing against a back door, and got up with a groan.

As much as this Stark man was weak as a leaf, he still had the power to knock me down.

As I approached the door to open it, I heard many swear words typically Midgardian. I turned the doorknob, and Liana nearly fell into my arms.

I smirked as she pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear.

Her eyes were glaring at me furiously. "What were you _thinking_? Is that a way to thank a man who offers you a drink that to send him fly through a window?"

I took my most innocent posture. "It was a defensive move."

She put her hands on her hips. "Yeah, I'm sure it was." She moved towards the broken glass and glanced down. She grimaced. "At least he wasn't hurt." She then turned on her heels, her posture still very tense. "Can you tell me what you're playing at?"

This time I narrowed my eyes. "Playing at? I'm not playing any game, Liana. I am here to finish what I've begun."

Her eyes darkened. "No going back, then?" It was almost a plea.

I shook my head and walked to her, stick in hand. "There aren't any going back. You know that better than anyone."

She turned around once again, and watched as my soldiers were storming from the porthole into her world, destroying everyone and everything on their way. She stiffened. "I have to go."

I ignored her. "This is a beautiful day for a victory, isn't it?"

She turned to face me, her hands into fists, her eyes sadder than I'd ever seen them. "_Loki_. I have to go. This is my home planet. I can't let you destroy it."

I locked my eyes on hers. Green and blue. Forest and river. Rage and calm. "I know."

She gasped. "My friends are out there. I wouldn't want to stay here crossed armed while they are risking their lives." I didn't answer a thing. "Before I go..."

Suddenly, there was nothing else in the world that that tiny woman, slowly walking up to me, her eyes determined yet teary, her form tense yet confident.

Her arms flew up and wrapped themselves around my neck. I put a hand up to them, acknowledging their presence.

No one had ever taken me in his arms. Ever. Apart from my adoptive mother, but that was a natural move.

Liana _wasn't_ my mother.

And dear, the All-Father knows I was nervous when her eyes locked on mine. "Be careful."

And her lips touched mine, so lightly I could have dreamt it.

Before she pulled away, I wrapped my free arm around her and pulled her closer, stealing her lips to mine.

I knew the Midgardians ways to show their affection. And, though I wasn't one to display myself, I must admit I wasn't thinking much at that moment.

Liana smiled under me, and kissed me back. Our lips were moving together, in perfect synchronization, thought none of us deepened it.

This time she pulled away.

When I opened my eyes, I only had the time to see her take her favourite dagger and jump out of the window into thin air.

As I watched her descend, I touched my lips.

What a farewell that had been.

_At first, I only wanted it to be a peck on the lips, but Loki, on his own account, decided otherwise._

_ Might I advise you to follow Jeremy Renner on Twitter? The guy's tweets are hilarious. ^^_

_ Review please!_


	13. Fighting

_ A/N: I've learned something while browsing YouTube channels. The three songs that translate my vision of Loki are Numb and When they come for me by Linkin Park, as well as World so cold by Three days Grace. Just...yeah, listen to them. It's just pure honey._

**13. Fighting**

**Liana's POV**

That might have been the most reckless thing I have ever done. Kissing Loki. What the hell was I thinking?

Yet, he kissed me back. And that had sent shivers all over my spine, as well as a feeling of belonging I rarely had known.

Surely, I had to protect my fellow Earth people, but to what price?

I tried to put a veil on my contradictory thoughts before I crashed on the ground.

Gosh Stark's tower was high.

I broke my two legs and arms, as well as my spine, while landing.

The pain was excruciating, but still, it wasn't the first time I was experiencing it.

Waiting for my bones to heal, and snapping those who had gone the wrong way when needed, I suddenly recalled the question that had been lingering on my mind, and to which I still had received an answer.

_**Why had Cursed-Clint spared me?**_

When my hands were reading to work, I pushed one to my ear. "Does anybody read me?"

Tony was the first to answer. "_Hey, Li. Finally decided to trash your boy's party?_"

"I never intended to attend, Tony."

I heard a crashing sound in my communicator, and it echoed in the empty street. "_I might need a hand. Blondie has joined too, and you might be interested to know that he is currently punching your dear Loki's face._" I lifted my gaze, and took a glimpse of golden armour. There definitely were people fighting up there.

"Where are you?"

"_Trying to bring more guests, of course. Watch out._"

I heard another crash, this time coming not far from me, and I caught a glimpse of Iron Man's armour in the sunlight.

This was when a S.H.I.E.L.D's jet entered my vision, right above me. The gun was out, still it didn't fire much before a blast of Loki's staff got one of the engines on fire.

I watched the direction where it would crash, and ran to it.

Fortunately for me, it wasn't far from the tower.

The plane crashed on its stomach, and I could see the three occupants trying to get out of it.

I launched myself in Clint's arms as soon as he got out.

"Thank the heavens!" I hugged him so tight I knew he couldn't breathe.

He pushed me aside. "Well, if it's not our little traitor herself!" The sting in his voice hurt, but he saw it. "I missed you too, Deadmeat."

I smirked at the old joke.

Rogers landed next to me. "Miss Liana. Joining us?"

I nodded. "Cap'. Hope the flight wasn't too disturbed."

"Apart from an evil green bastard shooting blue blasts at us, nothing too uncomfortable, no." Clint's tone was mixed between bitter and playful.

I drew my dagger out, seeing as many Chitauris were coming our way. "So, what about now?"

No one answered as a growling sound came from above, and we lifted our gazes.

An enormous beast got out of the porthole. Something between a worm and a shark. Unfriendly.

We all ran towards a street where many civilians were trying to find some place to hide.

I got my first alien down when it tried to shoot Clint from its flying motorcycle.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

It was good to have both Nat and Li at my side to fight. Just like old times. Nat and I were the most experienced for that kind of street fight, but Li had been my pupil. Basically, the way she fought came from me. Except for a couple of moves she knew from before.

At that moment, I didn't care whether or not she was on Loki's side. The only thing I knew was that the Chitauris weren't attacking her, and were even looking surprised when she was taking them down.

"It reminds me of Budapest." Said Nat while we were shooting from behind a car. "A nightmare."

I looked up. "We don't recall Budapest the same way." I whirled and landed crouching behind another car next to Liana. "Hey."

She didn't look at me and shot another one down. "Hey. Got something to tell me, Birdy?"

I winced. Last time she called me that, I was- "Yeah. You know, when you fought me on the Helicarrier, I-"

This time her blue eyes met mine. "Why did you stop?"

I shrugged. "I hoped you'd have the answer. These beasts don't seem to recognize you as an enemy."

She shrugged in response. "I've been wondering about this since it happened. Whatever this means, I'm taking it to our advantage."

That's when dear Thor landed not far from us in a blast of lighting.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I was a full part of the Initiative now, as the world was falling apart, and as I was shooting down hundreds of deadly aliens alongside my friends. Still, some questions remained hanging.

It was probably the first time I was almost happy to see Thor coming down our way.

And most certainly the first time his sky blue eyes locked on mine, all quizzical.

I narrowed my eyes in a silent question.

He didn't answer it and turned to Steve instead. "Captain?"

Natasha spoke up. "What are we-"

I turned on my heels, as everyone was staring in my back.

There, on a trashed motorcycle, was slowly coming Dr Bruce Banner himself. Looking so miserable it almost made me smile.

Steve walked up to him. "Dr Banner."

We all heard Tony in our ears. "_Tell him to change up. I'm bringing the party._"

A building creaked, and one of those wormy things appeared at the corner of the street, Iron Man flying before it.

"That's a party I'd rather not attend." Nat said.

I ran to the crashed plane. I knew what I was looking for, I just had to find it.

There it was. It wasn't as complex as Clint's, but a bow was a bow, and I knew pretty well how to shoot, since I had the very best of teachers.

When I came back to my friends, Bruce had became all green, and the beast was lying on its back, dead.

Steve regrouped us all. "Stark, you come that way, and either shoot down everything getting out of the perimeter or pushing it our way. Hawkeye, get on that roof and survey the area."

Clint nodded and turned to Tony. "Take me for a ride?"

"Hang tight, Robin Hood." And he grabbed Clint's collar, setting off.

"Thor, try to obstruct that porthole. You have lightning, use it to slow them down."

Thor made his hammer turn in his hand, and got off too, heading for the Empire State Building.

Rogers turned to Hulk. "Hulk...just...crash everything."

The beast smirked and ran towards a building he almost tore to the ground.

I put an arrow on my bow. "If you don't have orders for me, Cap', I'd rather get some meat for the barbecue." I walked towards the street, shooting both arrows and bullets to every living greyish creature entering my vision.

I must admit that whole fight was a little blurred, as I was defending my own life without thinking much. I just remember the time I decided to climb on a building side and jumped into the air to land on a creature's bike.

Before me was Loki, driving his own, firing furiously at my friends.

I killed the driving beast with a very well placed arrow, and drove the thing to the Stark tower.

Then I understood what Loki was doing. He was _hunting_ Nat down.

I gritted my teeth and put my com on.

I heard her voice as soon as it clicked. "_Hawkeye? Help please?_"

I saw a blurry arrow drawn towards Loki's head, but the god caught it at the last moment. But I knew better.

The arrow exploded in his hand, and he was sent flying towards Stark's terrace.

I directed the bike towards him, when Hulk overran me.

The sight of him flipping Loki around was either hilarious or totally horrid. I wasn't sure which attitude to take.

I stayed on the roof some more minutes, to shoot any creature coming Nat's way, as she was helping Dr Selvig closing the porthole.

I stopped dead when I heard something as torturing as Loki's moan of pain.

"_I know where I wanna send it._"

I almost shouted in my microphone, but too late, as I saw my friend, Tony, Iron Man, heading for the porthole and disappearing in the void.

A sheer of joy escaped my team. Not me. "_Natasha, get ready to close it._"

I found myself aiming at the hole in the sky, as if it could help Tony from getting back.

From here, the explosion above was looking rather like a firework, except Tony wouldn't survive it. I crossed my fingers and yelled to the heavens.

And then Nat closed it. I almost shot her down, but Tony got down just in time.

Except there was no one piloting the armour.

Tony was falling to his death.

"_He's coming down too fast!_" I heard Thor's booming voice.

Then a growl, and Tony was in Hulk's arms, landing hard on a small bridge not far from me.

I stopped breathing. From here, I only saw Thor tearing Tony's helmet away, but nothing more.

Then Hulk growled again, and Tony was back. "_Oh god! I hope no one had to reanimate me!_"

I chuckled nervously. "Welcome back, dickhead."

From the distance, I saw his head tilt up, as if he was trying to locate me. "_Wait until I find you, little bitch._"

I jumped on the lower terrace, where Natasha and Selvig were sitting on the ground, panting heavily.

I sat next to them. "Well, that's done."

The Russian spy looked between the tower and I. "You aren't inside?" She looked genuinely surprised.

I shrugged. "I guess I'm punishing him for trying to kill my favourite red-head."

She smirked a little. "Thanks."

I nodded. "You're very welcome. Eric, you alright?"

The Swedish man turned to me, his icy eyes stunned. "Liana? But...the Tesseract, it..."

"It what?" I looked blankly into thin air, as if the answer didn't matter.

"Well, it...told us some things."

"As in?"

"As in...you weren't to be killed. As in you weren't an enemy of the cause."

I shrugged. "I wasn't. And am not. I'm only an enemy to those who threaten my planet and friends."

"_Well, darling, I think you'd better come in, then. Your boy might need a little support, 'cause Hawk wants his head bad._" Tony's voice was more of a comment than a warning.

I shot upright. Thor had brought Hulk up, and Tony Clint and Steve. We were all there.

I jumped into Tony's metallic arms, but said nothing, just kissing his cheek. I nodded to Thor, high-fived Hulk, and then turned to my stubborn best friend.

"Clint, I said _no_!"

His head snapped to me, his eyes full of fury.

Tony chuckled. "Listen to Mummy, Hawk."

Clint looked at me blankly. "Deadmeat..."

I crossed my arms. "Birdy..."

Thor walked between the two of us. "Neither of you will have the last word. Loki is to be judged. On Asgard. That wasn't a proposal. That was an affirmation."

I lifted my eyebrows at Clint. Better judged than dead.

He sighed and wrapped an arm around me. "I hate it when you win."

"I know."

_I'd better cut here, no?_

_ So sorry I didn't put many action scenes in this chapter, but this movie was so full of it I just couldn't choose which ones were the best. Though Tony being swallowed by the "wormy thing' was hilarious._

_ Oh, and yeah, Hulk flipping Loki over his head was a scene I can't be joyful about. Okay, it was hilarious, but it still was painful. And Loki's moan at the end broke my heart..._

_ Review, please! :)_


	14. Farewells

_ A/N: As I'm going on holidays from Thursday to Saturday, I thought it fair to post more... ^^_

**14. Farewells**

**Liana's POV**

Before I knew what was happening, after my friends all threatened a lightly wounded and sore Loki, I was sitting in the Helicarrier debrief room.

Fury and Hill were both looking like two people who typically passed from intense concern to huge relief.

Thor stood up, as usual, threatening the whole room with his height, while Tony had been helped out of his now useless Mark VII by both Bruce and I.

Natasha and Clint were sitting so close to each other I thought there had been an advance in their relationship. But obviously, there hadn't been. Clint wouldn't have looked that tired if there had been one.

I was sitting between Rogers and Hill, who was stealing glances to me when she thought I wasn't looking.

Fury eventually put his hands on the table. "First, I wanted to congratulate you. All of you. You showed a high team spirit earlier, and that's what was wanted from you."

We all nodded.

"Now, for the personal debriefs. Captain Rogers, might I add that your leadership has been far better than I expected it to be. I think you might be our team leader from now on."

Steve bowed his head. "Thank you, sir, but I wouldn't have accomplished that without the others." I smirked. Always that shy modesty.

Fury nodded but didn't comment. He passed on Tony, who was sitting right to Steve. I frowned. So I was going to be last? That wasn't reassuring! "Stark, brilliant use of self-control, and I'm sure everyone here will agree that it would have been a shame if you hadn't returned. Nevertheless, I think I might offer you something for your exceptional lack of selfishness during this whole matter."

Tony smirked and pushed his sunglasses on his nose. "Holidays would do good to everyone."

Fury nodded. "Accorded. Barton, good to see you on good tracks once again. When you return from your...retirement, I must ask of you a detailed report on your...let's say...personality problem."

Clint's eyes darkened. He didn't want to talk about it, I could tell. I swore myself to save him a personal "consultation" for later.

"Romanoff, great use of self-control as well, and thank you for closing the damn porthole."

She nodded. "It wasn't my idea. You should thank Dr Selvig for that."

"Already done. Banner."

Bruce snapped his head at Fury. The poor guy looked as concerned as he was on his first day.

"I think we all agree that Hulk was very useful today. He might be congratulated as well."

"Sure. He will appreciate it." He clenched his fists and looked around stressfully.

"Thor. Well, thank you for protecting the Earth."

The booming voice echoed. "I swore an oath. I am not one to break them."

Then, all eyes were on me. Nat's were still angry and suspicious, Tony's were amused, while Thor's and Clint's were torn between concern and wonder. I couldn't see either Bruce's or Steve's.

"Sir?" I kept my voice up, in case, I didn't want to sound stressed.

"Agent Noname. Your case has been hardily discussed amongst our sphere. Whether or not you were to be incarcerated, for example."

I sighed. "Get on with it. Am I considered compromised or not?"

Clint huffed. "As if you weren't."

I shushed him with a glare.

"No, you're not considered compromised yet. Still, one of the conditions for your rehabilitation was that I had to inform Loki of your prior mission."

My hands fell on the table in two balls. My eyes were sending bullets, I knew it. "You _what_?"

"Earlier today, Loki was informed your mission was to get to know him and to find a weak point. In which you failed. Close, though."

My vision blurred as tears came up my eyes. Against all will, they locked on Thor's. His sky blue orbs were sorry, I could see. Whether for me or for his brother, I couldn't say.

I shot up. "Thank you sir. I'd rather get out of here before my own version of Hulk destroys the ship. Good day to you." I escaped the room and ran to the only place I was sure to get peace.

Loki's former cell.

The pod's previous emplacement was now empty, but I still could sit on the metal floor and cry as much as I liked.

The _bastards_. They had told him I was on a mission to seduce him!

What was he thinking of me?

The worst of this was, I _had_ told Fury I was on a mission, but not that kind of mission. My personal mission had been to be sure Loki was truly loved for once in his life, and who better than a being so similar to him to feel that for him?

Loki and I were like soulmates. I was tempering his bloodlust somehow, and he was lighting my dead soul into a blazing fire.

He was the seaweed, I was the water. He was battling against currents, I was calming his pain.

I felt so horrible.

For once, I had found someone I wanted to care about, I wanted to love with all my heart and soul, and he had been stolen to me by a heartless S.H.I.E.L.D director.

My sobs eased a bit.

I wasn't alone.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

I hated to see Li cry. She was such a strong person. The only times I really saw her cry, she was shattered to pieces, her mind and soul were ripped apart, and I had had to glue them back together.

This time was no different. As soon as she had escaped the debrief room, I had asked Fury to follow her. Nat had sent me a warning glare, but I couldn't care less.

What the woman I loved and who kept rejecting me thought about Liana didn't matter.

Liana was the only one to truly know I felt something else than friendship for Nat. And she was the one I always confided in when I needed it.

_I couldn't let her cry._

I sat next to her in the detention room, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She quickly wiped her tears away. In vain, because others were replacing them as soon as they disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Li. I really am." Could I say that? That I was sorry she had fallen in love with the man I hated the most in the whole universe? Yes, I probably could. After all, she wasn't in the best terms with Nat either.

She sniffed. "No, you're not. You think I'm better without that weight on my shoulders."

I tilted my head to the side. "True that. But, hey, I still don't wish you to be unhappy, Deadmeat."

She turned her head to me, her now read eyes almost smiling. "You're keeping up this stupid nickname?"

"I think it suits you. And besides, I'm the only one to use it."

She put her head on my shoulder. "Clint... What was it like, being cursed?"

I winced. Though I knew she would bring it up, I wished it hadn't been before a long long time. "I don't know. Like being cornered in one side of your head and not having the control of your body. Like being wiped out of yourself. Like you weren't existing."

She shuddered. "Natasha thought I was cursed, didn't she?" I nodded. "I'm glad I wasn't. And yet, if I had been, I wouldn't feel that bad."

"Why are you feeling that bad anyway?"

She looked up a little. "Clint. Remember when I once told you I couldn't hook up with anyone because I was an old lady?" I nodded once. "Well, I think I've finally found someone older than me who doesn't look like my grandfather."

I sighed. "I wished it wasn't him, though. You could have settled for Blondie instead."

She chuckled sadly. "Oh, goodness no. Thor's _boring_. He's too perfect for his own good. And I don't like blondies anyway." She looked up at my hair, and I smirked. "Except you. 'Cause I like your ass."

I chuckled. "My ass. Always that part of my anatomy. Not my intellect, not my muscles. No. My ass." I laughed lighter. "Women."

She pinched my arm. "I'm not a woman. I'm old enough to be your grandmother, if not more."

"Whatever you're saying, _Grandma_." I then stiffened. "Have you found out why I didn't kill you that day?"

She shook her head on my shoulder. "No. Selvig says it didn't think of me as an enemy, but neither as an ally, so. I really don't know."

"Guess _he_ would know."

She frowned. "I can't see him, Clint. I just...can't."

I kissed her hair for comfort. "Of course. I understand. He'd be all hatred and everything, now. Guess he's like that all the time anyway, so, that wouldn't be an improvement."

That didn't make her smile. "I hate the thought of him hating me. Not when I am innocent."

"That's the problem, Deadmeat. You're not innocent."

She looked up at me. "I'm not?"

I shook my head and gazed into her eyes. "Fury said you proposed this whole psychological thing in the first place. Getting his profile to try and heal him. Guess the only medicine he needed was a little hug, after all. Had I known, I would have done it from the beginning."

She shook herself out of my grip and slowly got up, her cheeks still baring the traces of her tears. "You're supposed to comfort me, Clint, not to bury me six feet under."

I got up too and stared at her, deadly serious. "That's what friends do. _They are honest._"

She exited the room without looking back at me.

I may have hit a nerve, but I think it'd sink in one day or another.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

_Betrayal_. That word had spread through my whole life.

Odin. Thor. Sigyn. And now Liana.

_Everyone_ was betraying me.

This time, I almost believed her.

She had been so caring, so..._natural_. I couldn't have seen the lies behind the truths.

_Traitor_.

She had stolen my feelings as easily as I could make myself many.

And she had broken me as easily as I had sent this metal man through that window.

_Betrayed_.

_Humiliated_.

_Tortured_.

Loki, God of Mischief and Lies. Broken to the bone.

And handed over to my adoptive brother for a court in Asgard.

I couldn't care less. I was dead inside.

They put a muzzle on my face. I let them. Couldn't even care about telling them it couldn't help my magic from destroying every single one of them.

There _she_ was. With them.

She wasn't looking good, but she wasn't looking devastated either.

My heart fell a little deeper in my heels.

_Liana_. _She_ was the Goddess of Mischief and Lies.

Thor handed me the other side of the Tesseract's device, which would drive us "home". I took it willingly.

Everything to get me out of there. _Far from her._

Her eyes locked on mine, and I took a last glimpse of water blue before being sent upwards.

Liana. _A liar._

No. I wouldn't ever set a foot on Midgard again. That race was _evil_.

And they called me the Walking Devil.

_What do you think?_

_ I'm so sad poor Loki had to suffer like that. He's so loveable..._

_ Yet, it had to be done. 'Cause now, they both have to reconstruct themselves before being reunited. If they ever are. Spoilers!_

_ Review, please!_


	15. Six months later

_ A/N: Tehe, readers, do not freak out like that! And READ the Author's notes! Of course Li and Loki's story didn't end last chapter! :D_

**15. Six months later**

**Clint's POV**

Time had passed. That whole Tesseract story was way behind all of us. Still, some of the Avengers didn't heal as fast as the others.

I had had a long conversation with Natasha, concerning what Loki had told her that had startled her so much. I can honestly say I was more than glad it finally gave me an opportunity to tell her what I felt for her.

For the moment, we weren't dating. But we were being careful with the other still. Nat was trying to figure out what she felt for me. So I was waiting.

Thor hadn't come back. Fury had to replace him by someone else, who soon appeared to be Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, a lovely girl who could pass through walls. She had quickly taken a fancy with Steve, but the poor lad wasn't ready yet to forget his Peggy.

Stark and Banner were living together at Stark's tower. Banner had two levels all for himself. One for his apartments, the other for a huge lab I couldn't quite figure the use of. Still, those two were doing marvels together.

Stark had asked Pepper to marry him. She had said no. She wanted to wait until he was completely hers. I'm under the impression she might reconsider sooner or later.

Liana hadn't joined the team back. She was under therapy, and nowhere close to forget everything that scared the hell out of her.

We were living together in L.A. She had bought a little house, and she didn't want to live there alone, for her sake. So I had moved in. I wasn't there often, but when I was, you can be certain I was spending the night holding her tight.

She was having the most vivid nightmares. All of her bloody memories had come back to her as a front. She was hating herself so much I was impressed she hadn't tried to kill herself yet.

I should have known better. Liana can't die. She must have tried.

At first, she was getting all fuzzy when there was a thunderstorm. Then, after six weeks, she started to understand they didn't translate Thor's landing.

I knew what she wanted to do. No need to ask for that, it was written all over her face.

She wanted to go to Asgard. To know what had happened to the bastard, _Loki_.

Whenever I had to think about him, my hands clenched to fists on their own accord.

Still, Li was my friend. I couldn't let her down.

She was even making efforts when Nat was visiting. She was kind, she was cooking, she was trying to look happy, but deep under, she was nothing but dead. Even her eyes had faded.

I wished nothing close to happen to anyone.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

It got on me like a full speed car. I woke up one day, wiped the usual cold tears away, and jumped out of my bed.

I had to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D. There was no need for me to stay catatonic for the rest of my eternity. I had to do something of my days.

And darn it if it meant the return of serious nightmares.

I ran to the kitchen, only wearing a thin nightgown, and got my phone out. I dialled the second number I used the most.

"_Hello?_"

"Pepper?"

"_Liana! How are you my darling?_"

I sighed. "As usual. Look, I hope I'm not disturbing anything, but is your fiancé in?"

She chuckled. "_In fact, I bless you. He's now awake._" Her voice faded a little."_Tony, Liana on the phone for you! Take care, Li. See you soon._"

"See ya Pep."

I heard a growl, and then a yawn. "_Hey, Depressgirl. What owes me the total pleasure of being awaken at ten?_"

"Tony, I need you. Can you pick me up as soon as possible?"

"_Pick you up? What? Are you, Liana Noname, finally getting out of this pathetic excuse for a house you and the Hawk share? Wow, this should be Christmas!_"

"Tony. Please."

He sighed. "_Okay. Does you therapist know?_"

"No."

"_I'll be there in a half. See you._" And he hanged out.

I walked back to my bathroom, nearly scaring myself when I saw my face in the mirror.

Dear oh dear. It was like waking up of a long long dream. Or coma. As if I hadn't been aware of myself for very long.

I quickly took my pills and tried to look less like a Zombie. It wouldn't help my cause.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"So you're asking me to take you back in the team?"

Fury was sitting in front of me, in his office on the new Helicarrier. Bigger and stronger.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

I sighed. "Because. I can't stay in that house, grieving on something I can't change. I want to be useful again."

He looked me up and down. "This won't be easy. Your body needs reshaping." I looked down at my arms and legs, which were not used to running or fighting anymore. "I'm sure you'll need new shooting lessons. As well as...a weekly therapy."

I sighed again. "So be it."

"Do you wish for any particular teachers?"

I locked my eyes onto his own. "Clint. For shooting. Natasha. For close fighting. For reshaping, I'll let you choose."

He got up and outstretched a hand. "Welcome back in the Avengers, Agent Noname."

I shook hands with him but didn't let it go at first. "Something else. I want a code name. I'm tired of being called Noname. My name is Liana."

He nodded. "I'll find one. _Other_ than Deadmeat."

"Thank you." The old nickname burnt inside of me. It made me remember that horrible day.

I almost tripped on my way back to the command hall. _That day._

I shook my head off the feeling.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Steve's POV**

I had been convoked. We all had, in fact. I had to leave my camping trip in Alaska to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D's HQ. Important meeting, it said.

I could now use what they called a cellphone. Stark had invented one that wasn't full of useless applications. The only special feature was I could see the person I was calling. Which was useful. I liked talking to people face to face.

The laptop, on the other hand, was still another planet for me. But I was learning. I at least could now type with two fingers. Banner had mocked me when I told him, but I still felt proud.

I was thinking about that, when Barton and Natasha entered the command hall, all dressed in their agents suits.

Stark soon followed, with Banner.

Of course, Miss Kitty didn't use the door, and came, as usual, to sit by me.

I wasn't that surprised when I saw who was coming in with Director Fury. I could have guessed this day would have happened.

But apparently, even Clint wasn't aware Liana wanted to join back.

She sat beside him, with Stark on her other side. She hugged the Hawk a little, and whispered something in is ear. It made him smirk. I echoed him. That was good to see her in good shape after such a long time.

"Avengers. I have a great news. Liana" he nodded to her. "has finally decided to get back to work." We all wanted to cheer, but he put a hand out to stop us in tracks. "Under some conditions. First, she'll have to get reshaped. I think that's a good job for you, Captain."

I looked at Liana. She wasn't smiling to me, but her eyes were more alive than the last time I had seen her. "Sure, sir. With pleasure." I heard Kitty sneer beside me, but ignored it.

"Second, she has to be reminded of her previous training. Barton, you'll teach her shooting. Romanoff, close fighting." They both nodded, and Clint put a hand on Liana's. I could see those two were still as close as I always saw them. That was good to see.

"And finally, and for that I need help from all of you. She wants a code name." He pointed at Clint. "Not Deadmeat." The Hawk smirked.

Tony put a hand up. "I _like_ Deadmeat." Liana threw her elbow in his ribcage. "Okay, I _don't_ like Deadmeat." He coughed a little, and everyone huffed.

"I would propose Steelgirl." Banner wiped his glasses saying.

"And I would say Etnagirl." We all looked at Natasha in wonder. "What? When she gets angry, she spits fire." Clint smirked to that.

"Moon. 'Cause she has her hair as black as night and skin as white as the moon." Kitty's voice was so high it almost sounded like a squeak, but we all heard it.

Liana looked at her carefully. It was the first time they were officially meeting each other. "I like Moon." She turned to Bruce. "_And_ Steelgirl." Then to Fury. "It's up to you."

"Steelgirl it will be. Moon is a little too romantic for you."

I saw her wince, but she didn't say anything. I spoke up. "I think Moon suits her better, actually, Colonel. Maybe we could consider it to be her lastname." Liana's face lit up.

"Yay. Liana Moon. That sounds good." Clint smirked.

"Okay, then, classified. Agent Moon, you know where your quarters are. Meeting dismissed." Fury exited the platform.

I got up and walked to Liana. I outstretched a hand for her to shake, but she just looked at me before kissing my cheek. "Nice to see you too, Steve."

_What did you think? Moon suits her, doesn't it? And Steelgirl is appropriate. I think? If you have better ideas, push the button! :)_

_ Review, of course! ^^_


	16. What about that?

_ A/N: I can't. I just...can't. This story can't not go on. I just...I HAVE TO WRITE IT DOWN, YOU DARN CONSCIENCE! Okay, calm down me. Well, I have to say things as they are. I've been intoxicated with Loki for ages. It just got worse. Again. Someday, I swear I will blow up into millions of bubbles just by seeing him on screen._

**16. What about this?**

**Kitty's POV**

Liana wasn't bad, when you started to know her. I don't know what the fuzz was all about. She fell in love with the wrong guy, so what? We all do that once or twice, don't we?

She apparently was old enough to be my grandmother, but she was more like a big sister. Always there to protect me, and to give me advice.

I also learnt she really was a psychologist. In one go, she guessed everything about me. My hometown in Canada, the number of siblings I had, and more than anything, the massive crush I developed for none else than Steve Rogers.

Who wasn't looking at me at all. Or was, but as if I was an infant.

Yeah, I really liked Liana.

Her hand squeezed mine under the briefing table. I lifted my gaze.

Colonel Fury was assigning us all to a very important mission. I had just lost half of it in my thoughts. Great.

"...isn't very protected on the outside, but Hill scanned the building and it's full of traps. I want you to split up and cover every ground to make sure the place is secured for extraction. We need the damn man alive, is that understood?"

Which man? Who? Extraction. That sounded like a IMF mission. _**I wonder if Ethan Hunt's going to be part of this?**_

"Am I disturbing you, Agent Pryde?"

I snapped my head up. Liana leaned to me. "Yes, you said that out loud, dearest."

I blushed from head to toe. "Sorry Director. Do go on." Stark smirked from above his glasses, and I just stuck my tongue out.

"As I was saying, the man is needed alive. We desperately need someone with a serious knowledge of advanced weaponry."

Tony answered my silent question. "Since when _Justin Hammer_ has a more serious knowledge of this than me?"

Justin Hammer? You mean, the _douchebag_? That was him we had to extract? Well, thanks!

"Since he was given the opportunity to stop being an idiot. We have received confirmation that he had a chip implanted into his cortex. That makes him more clever than everyone else in this room, including Dr Banner." Stark opened his mouth to say something I'm sure was very spiritual. "But only when activated."

"So he's like a computer?"

Fury's eyes turned to me. "Yes, exactly like a computer. Which means the engine can't be trashed."

We all nodded in agreement.

"Right, now for the facilities. I can obviously ask both Hawkeye and Hulk to take care of the outside. Make sure everything is secured, and take down any potential threat. You are my best pawns for that."

Clint nodded, but Bruce lifted his grey/green eyes. "Pawns, eh? Sure the Other will love to be compared to some chess piece that gets sacrificed."

Fury rolled his eyes. "You got my meaning. Romanoff, Rogers, you take that part of the building." He pointed on the 4D map towards a very big hangar, far from everything else, where we were sure some drones were protecting the main exit. Entering wasn't a problem, apparently. "Discreet would be better."

He then turned to Liana, Stark and I, who were sitting all together. "You three. Cover." I narrowed my eyes. "Stark, you and Hammer have been acquainted. Guess you can find a proper excuse to go and visit him in his new facility. Moon will be your new girlfriend and-"

Liana put her fist on the table. "There is _no way_ on Earth that I'm pretending to be Canman's girlfriend. Find something else."

Tony looked back to the Colonel. "Yeah, I agree. We'd make a horrible pastiche of couple. Everyone with a little brain would know we aren't romantically involved."

Fury sighed. "Okay, then, your assistant, and Pryde, your driver."

I nodded. I like the uniform already.

"The traps on your way will be easily disconnected if you" Fury pointed at me "can make sure Jarvis has access to the computer room. Conveniently, it's just under the ladies' room."

"I can do that." Passing from one floor to the other wasn't really a problem for someone like me.

"However, some can't be disconnected. Those are surrounding Hammer's apartments. We still don't know what they do, so you'll have to me more than careful when you take him out. Understood?"

We all nodded.

"Good. Mission starting at 19 o'clock local time. Meeting dismissed."

As I got up, Clint walked to Liana. "Hey Steelgirl. Took your calming pills already?"

She rolled her eyes. "You perfectly know I gave up on that."

"Yeah, I know. Still, if you have some...focusing difficulties, you should take this." He handed her a small box which, by the sound of it, was full of pills.

"Thanks. See you later." Hawkeye walked over, and Liana turned to me. I hadn't had the time to turn my gaze. She sighed. "I'm still not perfectly functional. That's alright. I still can handle this."

"I'm sure you can." I tried to speak louder. "So, got anything to dress up?"

Tony walked to us and wrapped a casual arm around my shoulder. "Shopping time, girls?"

Liana's eyes lit up. "If I can try to steal your whole bank account from you, I will." She took his arm, I did the same, and then we were off in Stark's jetplane.

Good to know I could buy dresses with another's money. Not sure I would have found the funds for that myself.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

Darn it. Why did I listen to Tony-bloody-Stark and bought a dress way too long to move in it?

Trying to get away from the bullets falling from the ceiling, I tore the low of the dress.

I sighed. "Finally free." I pushed a hand to my ear. "Tony? Got out yet?"

"_Not yet. The man's struggling a little. Thankfully, the beast had opened a big hole in the roof. You?_"

"Uh, not bad. Trying to find Kitty. Got any ideas where she might be?"

"_Jarvis says there's a mutant signature two levels under you. Apparently she's trapped in a furnishings room._"

I got up, still crouching. "Got it."

I got my gun on my thigh, and aimed at the first camera I saw. Just above me. Of course, it didn't stop the shooting.

Well, that trap was nasty.

Okay, watch me, bastards.

I spotted the closest emergency door, all across the hallway, of course, and just put the gun back into its hiding place.

I then started calmly walking towards my exit.

A hundred bullets at least entered my flesh.

I had felt nothing more painful since _that_ day I jumped from Stark's tower.

That's it. _His_ face invaded my mind once again.

_His_ eyes. As green as the freshly mowed lawn. _His_ lips, as soft as I remembered when they touched mine.

His face turned into a mask of pain and rage.

I put my bleeding hands on my face and yelled inside of my head.

_**No, Loki! I didn't lie! Noooo!**_

And then he was gone.

I reached the door and leaned against it. The firing stopped behind me.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

The next trap, in the staircase, was an opening stair under which were planted several pikes.

It stung a little.

As I opened the door on the level on which Kitty was trapped, all I could see were trains of blood oozing from one wall. She most certainly had been wounded on the other side.

"Jarvis, Which door?"

"_Fourth on the left, Miss Liana._"

I took that direction, gun out.

I couldn't do anything against _that_ with a gun.

Shit. The bastards knew how to take us Avengers down.

The hallway was on fire. Except nothing apart from flesh was burnt. Genius.

"Oh, I'm going to so regret this!" I looked down at my already trashed dress, all covered in bullet holes, showing some parts of my body that I wouldn't display usually, and decided to let it go.

There must have been something to change somewhere near.

"Jarvis? Can you get someone to open a way up? The hallway is on fire. Kitty won't pass."

"_I'm on it, Miss Liana._"

I walked into the flames.

At first, it was only tickling, as it always had, but after some while, and as I was trying not to run towards the right door, it was made certain that fire was different.

It did burn me.

And it took me longer than usual to heal from that.

As I entered an immense furnishing room, I watched as burnt hair fell at my feet before being instantly replaced. The dress, however, was only hanging by miracle. And showed too much for my own good.

When I found her, I knew something was wrong.

A side of her face had completely melted, poor girl. And her driver uniform was so drenched in blood there was not a part of it that wasn't red.

I tore the vest apart.

Under it, Kitty had been stabbed. Many times. What the burns hid, I couldn't guess.

The worst part is, she wasn't breathing anymore.

"Shit! Kitty!" I started trying to make her heart start back, but nothing I did was helping. "Jarvis!"

"_Found it Miss! The vent above your head will drive you, if you take south, to the main hangar. Agent Romanoff has agreed to wait for you. She is guarding your exit._"

Though it was a relief to know there effectively was an exit, I watched as the poor 22 year-old Canadian girl who could walk through walls was rendering her last drops of blood on my hands.

"Oh no! I'm not letting you!"

"_Miss Liana, might I suggest a correctly directed electroshock?_"

I shook my head and grabbed a pointy bar hanging not far. "What about this instead?"

I pushed the pointy end far into my palm, and left it there until my blood oozed and fell onto Kitty's wounds.

The effect was immediate. Her wounds closed instantly, and I could see her burns wearing over, slower.

As my hand was healing, I could almost feel her blood being replaced by mine.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Welcome back, Cat."

She turned her brown eyes to me. Chock wore all over her face.

"_Girls? May I advice you to get the hell out of there quick?_" I could hear firing behind Clint's voice.

I pushed a hand to my ear. "Yep. Jarvis, south!"

And the vent's grid fell at my feet.

_Review!_


	17. Hope never fades away

_A/N: Time for hooooope! :)_

_ Oh, and I'm telling you, I'm currently preparing my own 100 songs contest. Might start it this afternoon, you never know... ^^_

**17. Hope never fades away**

**Liana's POV**

I didn't knock on Dr Callaghan's door before entering his office. I knew I was the only patient he currently had, poor man.

"Good morning, Liana."

I turned around. He was standing next to a counter, and was serving himself a glass of water. I didn't answer until I was facing the red cliché couch.

"Can I sit on the ground?"

He turned around and gestured for me something that looked like "by all means". I took a pillow on the couch and pushed it behind my head. I sighed in content.

The psychologist quickly made his way towards his armchair, but sat on the floor before me, though I could see he was far from liking it as much as I did.

"So, Liana," he took his carnet out, "why do you like sitting on the floor?"

I shrugged. "I guess I find it comfortable that way. There aren't many differences between two places' floor, so it makes it even everywhere I go, no differences. But I think the main reason is because I can't fall further down."

He nodded and wrote something short on his paper. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"I wasn't before. But since...what happened, I am less and less comfortable with high grounds, that is true."

"And still, you find it easy to live on a flying aircraft carrier."

I stiffened. "I try not to think about it."

He nodded again, and a short silence filled the room. I watched out of the window. "How are your nightmares?"

I shuddered. "Still vivid."

"Have you had any new since last time?" I was seeing Dr Callaghan once a month now, as Fury had understood I didn't need it more often. Last time, I had nothing new to tell.

This time... "Yes."

"Can you explain it to me? Closing your eyes won't be a problem?"

I shook my head. "I don't think it will." I put my hands on my thighs and started squeezing the fabric of my uniform. "I'm out in space. In a strange place. It isn't a planet, it is more like an asteroid. The rock is black and glistening, and sometimes, there are glowing stairs going either up or down. There is noone in sight for a moment. And then..." I took a deep breath, "then Loki appears, like an illusion. He is wearing his Asgardian armour, with his helmet on. I can't see his eyes, but I can see part of his face is oozing with blood. I try to reach him, but a force keeps me behind, as if there is a wall between us."

"How does the dream end?"

"I watch him pace, and then he goes up the stairs. I try to follow him, but I can't move. I call his name, but he doesn't hear me. And then, from above, a blinding light descends, a golden fire, as if a sun had exploded, and Loki comes falling at my feet, his eyes opened on nothing. He is dead. And that's when I wake up."

I opened my eyes, and Dr Callaghan was still writing, his eyebrows lifted. I knew there was something different with that dream. It had been tasting more real than the others had.

Finally, he gazed up into my eyes. "Well, Liana. I don't really know what to think about this. First, there's the place where you are. It isn't known. Neither in the Earth knowledge nor in the symbolist analyses. I am about to suggest you stole this image from Loki's mind itself."

"What do you mean?" I released my hands a little, my fingers becoming sore from squeezing my pants so much.

"You have allowed Loki into your mind once, haven't you?" I nodded. "Then, I can make an hypothesis that a part of Loki's memories entered your subconscious, and that they're only now coming up to the surface."

I nodded. "You think that asteroid was one of Loki's memories. But what about the plot?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. There is a high part of you that is still feeling guilty about what happened when Loki left the Earth, and that impersonates the wall between you. But his death...well, I can only guess that's your greatest fear of what happened to him."

I gauged that answer for a moment, then looked up. "Yes, it is my greatest fear."

He got up and stretched his legs a little. "Then, I can only advise you to write your dreams down when you have them. As usual. You stopped quite a long time ago, haven't you?"

I shrugged. "I don't remember them all."

He walked to the door and opened it before me. "I can't be of any help if you're not making an effort. See you next month, Liana."

I lifted my eyebrows. "Are you throwing me out?"

But I soon understood the reason. Outside of the door was standing Kitty. She was still in a state of chock, though less that a week before. I patted her shoulder before she entered Dr Callaghan's office.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I was comfortably sitting around Tony and Pep's dining table, eating one of the most tasty mushroom soup of my life. On my right was sitting Clint, and on my left Kitty.

Tony, who was sitting at the edge of the table, started speaking about Hammer's idiocy when it came to extrapolating the use of the newest of weapons. Especially when it came to Iron Man's suit.

Steve spoke up.

"Well, I don't want to sound bad, but he doesn't seem to be that intelligent."

Tony threw his arms towards the sky. "Captain, marry me!"

Pepper put her glass of wine down. "Please don't." I smirked.

"Still, Steve's not that wrong. Fury said Hammer had a chip implanted in his cortex, and I located it, but it's still inactive, and the man won't be of any use until we know how to activate it." Bruce wiped his mouth and lost his gaze into thin air, as usual when he was in deep thought.

"I'm thinking electroshock."

Tony turned to me. "You want to grill Justin Hammer, Liana? What a bad person you are!" I stuck out my tongue.

Bruce shook his head. "Electricity doesn't work. I've already tried. I think that maybe the chip might have been controlled by a remote or something. Either we destroyed it, or someone has taken it."

Tony patted his chest with his fists to impersonate King-Kong. "I want to kill the man who took the remote!"

Steve chuckled. "For a moment there, I thought it was Thor speaking." The name stung in my chest. I took a sip of wine and tried to hide the wince.

Clint put a helping hand on my thigh.

"I wonder how he is." Tony asked, oblivious to the fact the subject wasn't pleasant at all for me.

"Came to visit Jane on Monday, as usual. Didn't manage to talk to him though, Fury forbade it." Steve put a hand over his mouth, but the damages were done.

I bolted up without noticing. "_What_?"

"Jesus, Cap', told you to be careful!"

I turned to Tony. "You knew? You all knew Thor had come back and none of you thought about telling _me_?"

Steve got up and out his hands before him, trying to calm me down. "Director Fury didn't want you to know."

"Oh, did he? Well, as Fury is always smarter than anyone in this room, you certainly can't tell me his motive, can you?"

Bruce rubbed his eyes. "Especially for _that_ reason."

I looked down at my hands. They were shaking hard. "I can't believe you hid that from me. I thought you were my friends." I turned to Clint, who was looking down. "And _you_! You more than anyone know what it means to me! What it's done to me when _he_ went away. I'm destroyed inside and _you_ did _this_ to _me_?"

Tears began streaming down my face. Pepper got up and tried to approach me, but I just waved her away and ran out of the room without looking back.

I reached my car before Clint went after me.

I tapped on the GPS device.

**Destination?**

"New Mexico."

**Arrival in 36 hours.**

"We'll see."

And I pushed the accelerator.

_Revieeeew! :)_


	18. Would you mind?

_A/N: I wonder if I'm going to let you hang and beg for the reunion. I'm convinced I will stop updating after this chapter, go on holidays, and get back to see many comments on how cruel I am... I am eviiiil!_

_ And, yeah, if you aren't part of Loki's Army on Twitter yet, do it, we have so much fun! :D_

**18. Would you mind?**

**Thor's POV**

I landed in front of my dear Jane's front door. What she called her nest looked to me like a small lumberjack cabin, lost in the middle of nowhere. But she loved it, and everything my lady loved I had to love too.

She was waiting for me in front of her door. Her beautiful brown hair was loose, as I liked it more, and her smile was as usual the most gracious of welcomes.

I took her into my arms and made her spin. It made her laugh.

"And good day to you, Thor." She pressed her lips on mine for a short moment, and then moved in my arms for me to let her fall on the ground. "Someone on the phone for you."

The phone. That strange box of metal out of which came out voices. I had learned to crush it too strongly, or it would crack, and Jane would be upset.

So I took the device carefully in my hand, and put it against my ear.

"Who wants to talk?"

I heard a huff. "_Hello, Blondie. How's New Mexico?_"

"Hello to you, Metal Man. New Mexico is, as always, very entertaining."

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, there has been a little...let's say, mistake on Steve's account._" I heard the soldier protest in the background.

"What has the Soldier done? Should I come?" I already outstretched an arm, ready to call for Mjöllnir at any time.

"_No, no stay there. It's just that, he let out that you were back during a diner. And Liana was there._"

"Oh. Is the lady alright?"

"_No, she isn't. That's precisely why she shouldn't have known you were back. She's gone, her car's missing. And we can't locate her, for any weird reason. We think she'll be at your place in a day. Or less._"

I nodded. "Do you wish me to bring her back to you?"

"_No. We wish you to make her understand once and for all that she can't get your brother back. We don't want to see her suffering like this for the rest of her days._"

"I do not think Lady Liana would listen to me. She doesn't have a high opinion of me."

"_She will have a high opinion of you if you succumb to her puppy eyes and take her to your realm with you._"

"That won't happen. My father wouldn't accept it."

"_Say that to the enraged mutant woman who is driving your way for the moment._"

"I will do my best to convince her. But it won't be easy. Someone who knows her best should join me."

"_Clint Barton's on his way._"

"The Hawk will be of use. Thank you."

"_Thank _you_, big fellow._"

I put the device down.

I turned to Jane.

"What is it, Thor?"

"The woman who has fallen in love for my brother is coming. You should prepare a spare room, I think there will be a lot of talking tonight."

She nodded and escaped to the first floor.

Mjöllnir fell to the ground with a thunderous sound.

That was it. Frigga had warned me.

No fallen woman would ever let go of hope.

Let aside the only one who ever fell for Loki.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I had driven for the past 28 hours. Without stopping. Even sleep was avoiding me as I was heading to the one place I could be given what had been missing the most in my recent lifetime.

Something to live for.

My car missed an exit. I took the next one, and was redirected by the GPS device.

That's when I phone buzzed. I put it on speakers, but waited for the mailbox to start.

It was Natasha.

"_Liana, we know where you are going. Tony and Bruce are currently trying to locate you, but that's most probably useless by now. Clint had taken a plane towards New Mexico. We all hope you'll get to your senses and come back to us in one piece. See you soon._"

Why was Clint coming? No, I knew that answer. They all knew there were only a few people able to change my mind, and those were Clint and Bruce. As the second wasn't really a plane fan, only my best friend could jump in the first jet he found.

But why was Nat telling me? So that I was preparing myself? So that I changed my mind and reversed the engines? Or just to give me something to think about other than my close reunion with Loki's brother?

If the last hypothesis was the right one, it was completely useless.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

The house, as described, was the sole building three miles radius. A beautiful house, yes, but so lonely. Only someone hiding a Norse God once a week could live in this sort of place.

As I parked the car, the front door opened, revealing a small women with loose brown hair and caramel eyes, looking sweet and yet dominant.

She walked to welcome me. She outstretched a hand and I shook it, though still suspicious.

"Hi. I am Jane Foster, you can call me Jane."

"Liana Moon. Nice to meet you."

She quirked her eyebrows. "Oh, they found you a name then? That's cool. Come in. Thor is waiting for you."

She walked before me, and we entered her living-room.

Needless to say that Thor's hugeness was taking most of the place.

He was standing, clothed in his Asgardian outfit, his hands behind his back.

Jane kissed his cheek and exited to another room.

Thor's sky blue eyes locked on mine, and we stared for a moment, before I launched myself on him and started punching everywhere I could reach him.

"_Why_. On. _Earth_. Have. _You_. Done. _That_. To. _Me_?"

He slowly took my arms in his huge hands, and pushed me softly onto the couch. He then knelt before me. "Lady Liana. Your pain isn't easy for me to bear. Please calm down."

"How do you want me to calm down, you dumb Blondie coming from out of space! Do you even _know_ what it's been like?"

He sighed. His breath smelled like oceans and metal. "No, I do not know nor want to imagine your sufferings. But I do want to know if you are better."

I wiped the nervous tears away, and looked into his concerned face. "No, I am not. I only pretend to be."

He sat on the floor. "The Hawk shouldn't be long now. Start questioning me, Milady, I will answer truly."

I looked at him warily, and then sniffed to give me courage. "Is he alive?"

"Yes, he is."

A wave of relief flew over me. "What was his penalty?"

Thor's mouth twitched. "Our Father hasn't been kind with him, but he hasn't been asked to die. Instead, the All-Father took his powers and condemned him to help rebuild Jotunheim."

My eyes narrowed. "That's all?"

His eyes flashed. "Lady Liana, do you know what it means, that Loki is powerless?" I shook my head. "He can't hide behind any artifice."

I took a deep breath. "He is...in his _true_ form?"

"Yes, indeed he is. Now, all Asgard knows Loki is a Frost Giant."

I lost myself in thoughts. "As if he hadn't been rejected enough during your childhood, now everyone must avoid him like the plague."

Thor sighed again. "Except me."

I looked up. "Thanks."

"Thanks? Milady, you shouldn't thank me for loving my brother. You seem to think there's only you who cares about Loki. You aren't the only one. I do too."

I took one of his hands in both mine. "Then tell me, how is he...inside?"

"Dead. Faded. Dark. Empty. All of these Midgard adjectives would suit his state. He hasn't said a word when he wasn't asked to. Not a single time in eight months has he talked about what happened between you. I did try to find out."

I sighed. "Oh, Thor. I am so... I couldn't live with myself after that. I too was dead for a long time. Had I known...I would have told him."

"What happened, Lady? Why is he so...changed?"

I drowned in his eyes, so unlike his brother's. "We kissed."

He sighed. "The only way for a Midgardian to win over the heart of an Asgardian."

Miss Foster appeared at the edge of the room. "Sorry for eavesdropping. Darling, I think you might consider it wise to tell Miss Moon about _you-know-what_."

I snapped my head back at Thor. "What's _you-know-what_?"

He sighed again, then looked back at me. "Loki. Has agreed. To give up his immortality. In penance for his crimes."

I got up. "No! He _can't_ do that!"

"I'm afraid he can. If he gives up eating Iddun's apples once a year, his body will age, and his 2000 years will show. He will die."

I made him get up and put my hands on his huge shoulders. "Thor. Take me with you."

He sighed. "I can't, Liana, I can't."

I ignored the fact that he had used my first-name instead of his usual Lady, and stomped. "You _will_, Thor Odinson, do you hear me? I've not come _that_ far to hear you wiping my hopes away, telling me the man I love is going to die, and not doing anything about it! You said you loved him! So take me with you!"

The front door snapped open. I took a glimpse of Clint.

Thor's voice echoed around the room. "I will. I will."

Clint sighed behind me. "It seems I've come in too late, haven't I?"

_Dear me! I never imagined it to be so hard to get into Thor's head! I hate the man so much I couldn't make him sound sane. Sorry if it shows a little too much._

_ Review please!_

_ And don't forget: no updates until Sunday morning! So much for a romantic reunion! :D_


	19. Matters

_ A/N: Here I am! Back from Normandy, the best place to stare at the Channel and wish to be on the other side, and best place to whine over the death of thousand of soldiers 70 years ago._

_ Well, I might treat you today, still don't know... ^^_

**19. Matters**

**Clint's POV**

I was sitting on Miss Foster's couch, holding Li in my arms as if it was the last time I saw her. Which was probably the case, after all.

I had come too late. Had I arrived five minutes prior, Thor wouldn't have agreed in taking Liana to Asgard.

But she had explained herself. She just needed to _tell_ him. Not even to know if he loved her back. Just to tell him. And then come back.

That was a relief. A little relief, but a relief nonetheless.

"Do you think Fury will accept?" Her voice came from under me. I watched down at her form. She was clutching me as a life-preserver.

"He won't. That's for sure he won't. But I don't think you need permission."

She chuckled lightly. "He'll hate me. It's been less than a month now, and I'm going away once again."

"Well, first time wasn't really a chosen move, was it? Talking about such, where's Blondie?" I turned my head over and over, but Thor was nowhere to be seen.

"He's outside. He's talking to Heimdall, telling him he won't come home alone, and apparently asking for the Lady Sif to come and welcome Liana too." I snapped my head at Miss Jane.

She was standing right behind me. "Excuse us. It's a-"

"I do not pay attention to your ways of calling Thor. Blondie suits him. As does Caveman, as I heard Mr Stark once."

Liana chuckled. "Tony. I'll miss his jokes."

I sighed. "I've called them. I asked Nat to make sure Fury was given a distraction. Thought you might have liked to say goodbye."

She got out of my grip and got up, turning to face me. "I'm coming back, Clint. I promise."

"I know. But the big bearded man up there only knows _when_."

She smiled sadly. "As soon as possible. I don't imagine myself hanging out in a golden city for too long. My eyes might burn out."

Thor stormed into the room. "Heimdall knows. My good friend, the Lady Sif, will take care of you on our arrival. I will deal with my father."

Liana laughed briefly and bitterly. "Ha! I would take care of him if I was given the chance!" Thor tilted his head, quizzical. "Well, I'd rather have a civilized conversation with the All-Father. Once. He might not want another."

I smirked. "Ooh. I really am glad I'm not going with you."

Jane came next to Thor and wrapped her tiny arms around his huge waist. "You might want to take a nap. It's late, and Thor came to see me, so I don't think he will leave tonight." I got up from the couch. "But...I didn't think about having you, Agent Barton, for guest, so..."

"Clint and I are used to share a bed, Jane, do not worry. Besides, I think I will need a good night sleep, and it appears that only _his_ arms provide me with that blessing." Liana winked in my direction.

I walked to her and wrapped an arm around her, holding her tight. "Stop saying things like that, Miss Jane will think we are lovers or something equally disgusting."

Jane chuckled. "Oh, no, do not fear that. Thor has told me everything about you two. And, as I see the picture, I agree with him. You do look like twins."

I shared a look with Li. She smiled and then she frowned. I squeezed her.

"It's the second door on the right, first floor." Jane and Thor then exited the living-room, going outside for some time alone.

Liana took my hand and pulled me upstairs. "You better not give me another lecture, Birdy, I really am exhausted."

I smirked in the dark, and didn't answer.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

It was strange to know that it was the last night in a long time that I was sleeping in Clint's arms. He really was the best friend I'd ever have, and the fact of being separated from him too long was hard to bear. But he was right. He couldn't come with me. Fury might forgive my desertion, but Clint's? No way.

I yawned and looked over my shoulder. It was 9 in the morning. I had slept four hours.

Clint stirred next to me and dropped his arms from around me.

I sit up and turned to see his face.

He was looking at me in a strange way. As if he was trying to memorise my face.

I got up from the bed and came in front of a mirror. My hair was a mess. I let it loose, tried to get rid of the tangles, and braided it back up. I tapped on my cheeks and wiped my eyes, still sore and wet from a lot of crying.

In no time, Clint was up too, stretching next to the bed.

I walked to him and took his hand. "Ready?"

He shook his head. "Of course I'm not. But let's go anyway. No need to go through this once more."

We got down the stairs.

Jane was already up, her pink pyjamas wrinkled. She was sipping in a cup of coffee, humming a song to herself.

She turned when we arrived. "Hey. Good morning."

We saluted her and Clint frowned next to the door.

Jane nodded. "Yes. They are here. They've been for ten minutes now. Thor is explaining things to them. You should go ahead."

I ran to the door and turned the knob.

I was received by a pair of metal arms, squeezing me as if I was a sandbag.

"Tony! For heaven's! Let me go!"

"No! Not yet!" He whispered in my ear. I squeezed him tight as well. "Pepper says she will miss you like hell."

"Likewise. But I won't be long, you know that."

He let go of me, and wiped a single tear off his unmasked face. "'Course I do. I won't miss you the slightest. Deadmeat."

I patted his cheek. "And I you. Canman."

Bruce was next to me in the time of a blink. I drowned into his kind eyes. "I hope you'll find what you've been longing, Liana."

I hugged him briefly. "I promise I'll come back with a big treat for you. A piece of sea snake, maybe."

Natasha was containing Clint, not far. So I walked to Steve next. "Hey, big boy. You promise me you'll take care of this bunch of idiots for me, yeah?" He outstretched a hand. I pulled it and hugged him tight, levelling my mouth with his ear. "Let her enter your life, Steve. Peggy wouldn't have wanted you to waste your life grieving her."

He sniffed. "Thank you, Miss Liana. I hope you come back in a good state."

Kitty launched herself into my arms. "I will miss you, Liana! So much!" She sobbed hard in my arms.

I caressed her hair. "You will be fine, Kitty. You are a fighter. Already died once. Don't make it a second, I won't be there for a moment. But, thankfully, you have bodyguards all around you. I'm sure Hulk would _love_ to take care of you, won't you, Bruce?" The scientist nodded, smiled running on his lips.

"Come back soon." She kissed my cheek.

I looked down at her. She was almost like a child. "I will, darling. I will."

Natasha offered me a hand, I squeezed it hard. "You don't mess things up, Widow. He deserves happiness."

She shot her eyebrows up, I didn't answer and turned to Clint next.

I've never hugged someone like that. I wanted to rip his body apart for letting me leave him. I felt torn apart.

"Clint. Tell her. Don't waste time. Just tell her."

He nodded on my shoulder. "I promise I will."

"And don't call your children after me. If I come back in a year or two, I don't want to visit you two and see you shouting after a girl named Liana. It would be as if I was dead."

He chuckled and let me go. "No way. I slightly prefer calling my firstborn Deadmeat. Works out for girls _and_ boys."

I elbowed him.

And then that was it. I had told everyone.

Thor kissed Jane tenderly, and walked to me, Mjöllnir in one hand, a bag in the other.

He handed it to me. "You might need these. Asgard doesn't really have the same rules for clothing." I opened the bag, and Jane had packed a bunch of underwear for me.

I nodded to her, smiling, and she waved.

I looked one last time at my friends and colleagues, before wrapping a hand around Thor's immense arm.

Thor called Heimdall's name, and a storm suddenly took me and shot me upward.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Asgard wasn't at all as I imagined it to be.

First, the Bifrost, recently rebuilt thanks to the Tesseract, was a big golden ball, built up a cliff and at the end of a rainbow bridge.

Heimdall, the guardian, was huge, even more huge than Thor, though I thought that impossible, and black. His eyes were a deep gold.

I bowed to him, but couldn't hold a question. "I'm sorry, and I don't want to sound rude, but...aren't you supposed to be white?"

The eyes locked on mine. A deep, even more booming voice than the one I thought the most booming echoed around the room. "Your legends aren't all accurate, human."

I bowed again. "Well, thank you for answering."

He lowered his eyes. "It is a nice encounter." And then his gaze blurred. "You must leave. The time has come. She can't stay here."

Thor took my arm and pulled me towards the rainbow.

I hadn't seen her, the colours had been so blinding.

She was my height, wore a golden armour plate on her chest, and a black trouser. Her hair, loose, was pitch black and hanging on her back.

She smiled to me. "You must be Liana. My name is Sif. Welcome to Asgard."

I bowed. "Lady Sif. Nice to meet you."

She chuckled. "Sif would be perfect."

Thor cleared his throat. "Sif, take her to your chambers. I have to go and tell Father. It would be better if Liana stayed unknown for a while. And avoid the main corridors."

Sif nodded and turned to me. "Can you ride?" I shook my head. She whistled and a white horse appeared at her side. "This is Mellow. My horse. She will take us to the palace. Hold tight." She climbed onto the horse back, and pulled me up.

In no time, we were galloping towards what looked like a golden fortress.

As we reached a hidden door under a bridge, I turned around, the hair on my neck had suddenly risen.

There, on the rainbow bridge, was walking a tall figure, dressed in green.

His skin was blue.

I opened my mouth to yell his name.

Sif snaked an arm around my head and reduced me to silence.

"Not yet, Liana. Contain yourself."

_Daha! As much as I hate writing about farewells, I love writing about encounters. Sif is nice. And I love Jaime Alexander, she's just hilarious during her interviews. ^^_

_ Next chap, you may or may not see Loki for real, in his wonderful blueness... x)_

_ Review please!_


	20. I was here all along

**20. I was here all along**

**Liana's POV**

Sif's chambers were beautiful. All golden and silver. Her favourite colour was red, so the carpets and beddings were all either crimson or blood-red.

I liked it. A lot.

The most beautiful thing, however, was the view. She possessed a balcony, which was showing the bay under the palace. In the far distance, the rainbow bridge, and even farther, the Bifrost round form.

A small bed was lying on the balcony. I caressed the pillow.

"It's where I'm sleeping most of the time. If you are to stay in this room for long, you can have to bed. I don't like sleeping in it. Can't see the stars from over there."

I turned on my spot. The Lady Sif was standing not far from me, handing me a long blue gown. "What-?"

"You are to meet the All-Father. You must look regal. He won't appreciate a Midgardian wearing these clothes."

I looked down at my S.H.I.E.L.D outfit, and my usual music tee shirt, this time a blue Metallica one. "Yes. I think it wise too."

"This is mine. I don't wear dresses often, so I won't miss it. If you like it, you can keep it."

I took the silk fabric in my hands. It was so perfect I was about to wonder if the clothes weren't magic too.

"I ordered a tailor for tomorrow morning. Thor said you were a warrior on Midgard. And you don't seem to wear dresses that often either. So I thought an armour would suit you better."

I looked up into her face. "You are so kind. I am not, hopefully, staying long, you do not need to offer me all of this."

She smiled. "I like you. I feel less alone. You can't imagine how hard it is to live next to Thor and these idiot Warrior Three. Especially Fandral. He is insufferable."

I smirked. "Fandral is the blonde one, right?"

"Oh, your legends don't always picture us right. But Fandral is blonde, indeed he is. But he also is one of the worst womanisers in the nine kingdoms."

I looked back at the dress. "Who will be there? Not all the court, I hope?"

She shook her head, suddenly serious. "No, not all the court. This still should stay confidential for a while. No Midgardian, apart from Beowulf, has ever crossed the Bifrost before."

I nodded. "And then, who will be there?"

She smiled sadly. "Lady Frigga, of course, Thor, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun and me." I didn't have to ask for her to answer the next question. "I do not know if Loki will be allowed in the counsel room. We will see."

I looked at the dress again. "I really have no idea whatsoever to how to comport myself in front of a king."

Sif smiled again. "It isn't hard. You bow in front of him when you arrive and when you leave, and you never say his name in front of him. It is forbidden and you could be killed for it. That's all. For the rest, you choose how to address him."

I nodded. "Then, I'll better get myself changed."

She nodded. "I will wait for you in here."

I walked to the huge room that was Sif's bathroom.

I breathed heavily for a moment.

I maybe was instants from seeing Loki again. And the worst part was, I wasn't there to talk to _him_. _Yet_.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

The great hall was, well, great. The stairs were huge, as if you had to climb one hundred of them to finally get in front of the King himself.

Who was looking annoyed, for the least.

Sif was walking next to me, until we reached the stairs. She climbed and came to stand by Frigga, who was a beautiful without-age woman, wearing a cream gown and her light brown hair in a plait.

Odin was old. His eye-patch, similar to Fury's, was hiding his true feelings as he watched me approaching.

I knelt in front of him, still standing a dozen stairs apart from him.

The air felt colder when the great door closed behind me.

I dared not turn around. A movement on my left told me Loki had been allowed to join in. I could almost hear his breath in my back.

Odin got up his throne. "Lady Liana of Midgard. Arise!"

I got up and drowned my eyes into his single one. "Your Grace." I tried not to sound hateful.

He analysed me for a while. "My son told me you were one special human being."

I nodded. "On Earth, I am called a mutant. I cannot die."

Frigga let out a small squeak. I turned to her. Sif was squeezing her hand.

"Explain yourself." I turned back to the king.

"My name is Liana Moon. I do not know how old I am. I woke up once, in 1978, with no memories whatsoever of what had happened prior to that date. My name itself could be a lie. I was left with a locket bearing my first-name, but it could be someone else's. As for Moon, the name has been chosen by my colleagues, within the Avengers Initiative." I felt someone frown behind me. I wished Loki could bear the rest of the story.

"What is your role within that...group of people?"

"I am a soldier, I guess. I had a tough time after...some events, and only was able to work again a month ago. My mutation provides me the best of weapons. No one can hurt me. Physically."

Odin nodded and lifted his staff. "I could give you your memory back. Should you ask for it."

My temper rose in a daze. "_No_!" I lifted my hands in front of my face. "I do not wish it."

The All-Father looked at me quizzically. "You seem to have suffered from your ignorance."

"I would suffer even more if you were to erase everything that is making me who I am. I don't think you want another person in this room to become mad because of you. Erasing your knowledge of who you are, what you have done and why, giving you the worst of nightmares, the worst of questions, wishing to die when you cannot. No. I won't suffer it a second time."

Thor sighed. The Warrior Three, who were standing on my right, exchanged surprised glances. Sif looked at me strangely, and Frigga snapped a hand to her mouth. There was only one person I couldn't read the expression of.

I turned around.

He was effectively standing some stairs behind the others.

His skin was dark blue, with marks on it. His outfit was the same I had seen him wear so often. His whole body was surrounded by some kind of mirage. I guessed it was because he was cold. Like, freezing cold by the look of him.

Only his eyes were bewildering. They were _red_.

I locked my gaze with his.

Behind the dead veil, I could see I had touched his soul. That he was awakening.

I tried to send him an apology through my eyes, but his adoptive father didn't let me.

His staff boomed on the ground. "_Leave us_!"

Loki looked at me once again before turning on his heels and exiting the room with his brother and his company.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I turned around back to Odin.

He had arisen and gotten down some stairs.

His eye was furious.

"How _dare_ you? You are a small Midgardian, you mean nothing to us, how could you even imagine you could address me like that?"

I got up another stair. "I am not one of your slaves, sir! I am a free being, and I will tell you what I think of you!" His posture was now aggressive, but he couldn't do me any harm. "I find you despicable! How could you have done something _that_ cruel to your own son? Indeed, Loki is adopted, and do you think that was easy to live with? He who thought he was your flesh and bones, he who loved Thor more than any other being on Asgard, he who adored you like a god! You betrayed everything he had ever stood for! Why do you think he has turned mad? Because it was his destiny? I do not believe in destiny, I only believe in truth! The truth is, All-Father, that Loki turned mad because he learned of his true nature, and not by your mouth! Everything he did, everyone he loved, everywhere he went, that hadn't had any meaning left to him. Thor, Frigga, Sigyn, yourself, he couldn't know who had known all along. Worst, he didn't know which of his feelings were true or not! You know what? When I heard about his story, your "son" became the most fragile being I'd ever met. And I _love_ him. With all my soul. It doesn't matter to me _who_ he is, _what_ he is, what he has _done_, because he built himself out of the ashes of his old beliefs. You are disgusting. I do not wish to talk to you ever again."

I didn't let the words sink in. I turned around and walked towards the door I had entered by.

He stopped me when I had reached it. "You will not leave the Lady Sif's chambers unless I tell you to."

I didn't turn around to answer. "Unfortunately for you, my lord, you have little power against me. But I'll do as you ask. I'd rather stay locked forever than set foot in here again."

I pushed the door and found myself facing Sif.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"I thought I heard you yell. Hope you weren't yelling at the _King_!"

I crossed my arms. "I was. Got something against that?"

She sighed. "Well. I guess you have made an impression. That speech was really downing. Guess you weren't only speaking about yourself, eh?"

I unfolded my arms. "Where is he?"

She shrugged. "He disappeared at the same time as everyone else."

I sighed. "Well, at least he knows some part of the story."

She took my arm and drove me back to her chambers. "Someday, will you trust me enough to tell me your story, Lady Liana?"

I smiled a little. "Of course, Lady Sif. With great pleasure."

While we were walking towards the farthest edge of the palace, we crossed some blue skinned man's path.

Sif walked up a little, while my gaze and Loki's were irremediably locking.

My hand found his.

"I'm _so_ sorry."

"I know." His voice was rough. I knew he hadn't spoken a word unless asked. It lightened me to know he was choosing to talk for me. "I will see you again."

His palm caressed my arm, and he was gone.

Sif took my arm again, and brushed my cheeks.

I hadn't noticed they were soaked with tears.

_Eh eh! Told you you'd have a little Loki for dessert!_

_ Well, maybe I'll post next chapter today, still don't know about that... ^^_

_ Review please! Always a treat to read your messages. 3_


	21. Ever better

_ A/N: Okay, I will treat you right, 'cause I love you all people, with the massive amount of reviews and alerts put on this story. It really is the best of gifts. Thanks to you all._

**21. Ever better**

**Loki's POV**

Liana was there. In Asgard. Her very presence was making me both jolting and weary. Why was she there?

She had said things to Odin that I had never known she thought. That her lost memories would not tell her who she was but only destroy who she had chosen to be. That she was blaming him for my curse.

Liana was there. And I liked it.

She had taken my hand, like that day, so long before, when she had showed me her life. Her memories. Her losses. Her pain.

I had come to understand her so plainly that I could almost trust her when she said she was sorry.

_Still_.

She _had been_ Fury's spy. She _had been asked_ to be my friends. And even more.

The memory of her lips on mine stung me again.

I put a hand on my chest, clutching the fabric of my outfit.

"Loki? Are you alright, brother?"

I turned around.

Thor was coming to me, Mjöllnir on the ground, his fair face darkened by worry.

I chuckled devilishly. "_Why_ would you care, _Thor_?"

My words hurt him. He stopped on his tracks. His face hardened. "Loki. I never stopped being your brother. I never stopped loving you as such. Stop closing yourself to me. I wish only help."

"You wish only help? Really? Then why have you brought her here?"

His hand came resting on my shoulder. "She is doing you good. See? You're already speaking like your old self."

I waved his hand off me. "My old self is dead, Thor. He's been dead for years now. Better stop grieving him."

I made a gesture to walk past him, but he grabbed me and took advantage of my weakness. He threw me up his shoulder and walked me to his chambers.

He let me fall on the ground and pointed his huge fingers at me. "Now you will hear me, Loki!"

I got up and chuckled again. "Oh, will I?"

Mjöllnir buzzed in his grip. Thor looked determined. I listened. "I loved you brother, even after you tried to kill me. I couldn't understand your pain, but I respected it. I begged Father to bring you back, but he always answered my pleas by a no. When you appeared on Midgard, it has been the most joyful day of my life, brother. You were back. You weren't dead."

I snorted. "I _was_. You'd better have forgotten about me."

"Still, it doesn't erase who we were. What we did as children. I didn't know what you are, Loki, and had I known, I would have loved you all the same." I looked at my blue hands. How could someone love that? "When I heard that Lady Liana had been close enough to you to like you, even more if I speak truthfully, I was happy you had finally found someone for you. She is your mate, Loki. Just...forgive her. I do not believe the Fury man has told you the truth of it."

He panted after speaking so quickly.

I looked up into his face, searching a lie. Could Liana have loved me?

My eyes widened. I couldn't forgive her, but I couldn't lie to myself any longer. I had been too close to her. I had fallen in love with her. And those feelings can't be erased that easily.

"I cannot forgive what has been done, Thor. Neither by Liana nor by you. None of us is the same as before. You aren't the same arrogant man you were before your exile. I am not the same I was before learning about my nature. And she is not the same woman we left on Midgard months ago. We all change. Maybe for good, maybe not, but we aren't the same as before."

"And still, you do not deny you have felt something."

"Wouldn't you have? You, Almighty Thor, who fell for a tiny scientist back there? A girl by the name of Jane, insignificant to anyone else on her planet but oh so important for your eyes? Liana was like a sun, setting my whole soul on fire. The fire was extinguished in the most horrible way. I will not let it. I won't let myself fall into this ever again."

"Oh, Loki. If you let it, you would be _so_ happy."

"I _am_ happy."

Thor's eyes smoothed. "Not you are not, brother. And that's why you have to go and talk to Lady Liana. Even a little talk will bring you peace. Do not grieve someone who is still alive."

And he exited his own room.

I got up and sent a fist into the wall. It left my hand bleeding, and without my magic, it took time before it stopped. The blood on my blue hand was dazzling.

I swore once more and got on the balcony to think into fresh air.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

The tailor had come early. It was a short woman, without age though I could tell she was old, seeing the wisdom in her gaze, who came by the name of Lora.

She had quickly taken my measures and had ordered the right silver armour, which consisted into a chest plate with thin metal straps over my shoulders, which came down to the elbow in a smooth veil, matching my eyes colour.

The trousers were equally blue, with a piece of metal on my left leg, and I was given a whole new dagger, almost as long as a regular sword, to place on my belt.

I felt out of place, but Sif's smile was so radiant I didn't say a word when she qualified me of "truly fit for war". I took it as a compliment all the same.

Sif was soon called back to her practise time with the Warrior Three, and was pitying me for not being allowed to go with her. I reassured her. The view from the balcony was enough distraction for a lifetime.

I sat myself on her little bed. The sea air made it easy to breathe, though the plate was so tight I could feel every cell of oxygen entering my throat.

I kept gazing over to the rainbow bridge, until I heard someone not far from me.

"You will soon get bored. Everyone does the same plain things over days."

I watched left. At least ten meters away was standing Loki, who was on Thor's balcony. He wasn't looking at me, still, his red eyes were glowing in the sunlight.

I approached the rail. "I still have nothing much to do."

"You will get used to it. Being Odin's prisoner isn't entertaining."

"I am not Odin's prisoner." I snapped. "I am just...irrelevant."

"Yes, I guess that's what you're trying to tell everyone. Tell me, does Sif know why you are here?"

I sighed and looked to the far horizon. "I do not know it myself, why would she?"

His voice hardened. "You could try."

I snapped my eyes back on him. He had finally turned to face me. His side of balcony was still four meters away from me, but I knew it wasn't an obstacle. Much.

I climbed on the golden rail and launched myself towards Loki's part.

I landed safely in his arms, though he dropped me very quickly before walking away and wiping his hands on his outfit as if I had been trash.

"You know, I meant it when I said I was sorry."

His eyes snapped to mine. "Was it true?"

I knew he wasn't thinking about what I had said the previous evening. I sighed. "In a manner, yes, it was. But Fury himself didn't know every part of the story."

"Oh, didn't he? Poor Nicholas!" He waved his hands in the air, clearly stating he wasn't inclined to hear anything more about that day.

I chose otherwise. "I was indeed assigned for a mission to take you down. By any means necessary." His eyes hardened, relighting an ancient pain. I tried to blow it away. "But, as time went by, I understood I couldn't harm you. Or you I. You had asked me, when you were in your cell on the Helicarrier. Remember it?"

"I wish I didn't."

"I told you there was only one reason why I was helping you. And there it is. The reason I helped you up, Loki _Laufeyson_, was that you and I, we are the same. We have the same scars on our souls. And I didn't want to reopen them. I wanted to shove them away. Fury, and the other Avengers, never understood that."

His eyes lowered, my words kicking in. "What you told me, on that plane, when we met. You didn't want me to stop fighting." I nodded. "I have stopped fighting. Eight months ago, I have stopped fighting."

I carefully walked up to him. I kept a safety distance between our two bodies, but I could still feel his frozen skin leaving goosebumps on mine. "I forbid you to do so. And I still do. The fight is never over, once you have understood why you are fighting."

His eyes met mine. "Are you fighting still?" I nodded. "And do you have a reason for it?"

I didn't say anything. In that state, I slowly put a hand up his arm, and locked it on his neck.

His hair was shorter than when he had left. But I liked it better.

I think he was in too much of a daze to fight it when I pulled him down to me and kissed him gently.

He didn't frown, but didn't kiss me back either.

Instead, his arms found themselves clutching my back. He wasn't pulling me in, he was just trying to find a way of shoving the pain away.

I broke the "kiss".

He was crying. His tears were freezing on his cheeks, falling on the ground as little snowflakes.

He didn't look at me, turned on his heels and disappeared.

I stood there, my hands empty. My heart empty.

What have I done to him?

_There you go! Told you it'd take a while, but she finally kissed him again!_

_ To answer some questions, Loki hasn't forgiven her. Yet. And something huge will happen soon. Maybe not in the next chapter, I still do not know._

_ Review!_


	22. You will be the end of me

_A/N: I apparently am not able to leave you hanging too long. Here comes another! Oh, and, do not forget, "You and me, we're in this together now, None of them can stop us now, We will make it through somehow." My new credo. ^^_

**22. You will be the end of me**

**Liana's POV**

I had been allowed to get out of Sif's chambers three hours a day by the end of the first week I was on Asgard. Thor had told me he had gone back to Jane's once and had told the Avengers about my little outburst on my arrival. Clint had given him a note.

It was saying "_You are an idiot. Come back to us soon. It worked. Birdy._" So, Thor had been playing postman ever since.

I was so exhausted. When I wasn't visiting Asgard on my own (or shadowed by guards who thought they were invisible), I was practising sword fighting with either Sif or Fandral. Who clearly didn't understand the meaning of "My heart beats for another" kind of thing.

Volstagg was a cool guy, if you got part the always eating thing. He was joking very often, and he was apparently the only one on that planet to trust me with his life. As I understood when he asked me to cook something for him. He must have been mad to ask me that. But he survived.

Hogun was probably the one I saw the least often. Not that I minded. Sif had told me he was kind of a loner. So I left him alone.

I was walking on the edge of the dark blue sea, feet inches in it. It wasn't cold, nor warm, just the right temperature for someone to slid into it. The waves weren't pushing, just being there.

I decided to walk a little further into the water. It came licking my knees by that time.

The air chilled around me all of a sudden. I felt the water crack behind me. Without turning around, I guessed what was happening. Or whom.

"Following me, are you?"

The water around me froze and then stopped. Loki's voice came from behind me, though still far. "No. I saw you from the bridge. You aren't trying to drown yourself, are you?"

I chuckled. "Hell no. It wouldn't work anyway." I turned around a little, the ice breaking from my movement.

Loki was standing on the ice that had formed where he had touched the sea water. His tall figure was still crouching, as if he was hesitating before coming to me.

"Wait. Do not move." He quirked his eyebrows, and watched me as I climbed on the thick ice and found myself standing next to him.

He prevented me from slipping. "Be careful."

Our eyes locked. They always did, when we couldn't get to what we wanted to tell the other.

I sighed. "How are you today?"

He looked at the ocean. "Well, I think. The King has allowed me a day off. Jotunheim is almost rebuilt now."

I turned my head to him. "What will he ask you to do when that's done?"

"I asked him to stop taking Iddun's apples."

I took his arm and squeezed it. "I hope you let this idea drop, Loki! Do you hear me? I alive, you will not die! Certainly not by your own hands!"

His eyes darkened. "I'm afraid it's too late for that. He has already agreed."

I stomped, the ice cracked. Loki looked at my feet in concern. "I will not let this happen."

He sighed. "I know."

I let my hand slide down Loki's arm and snake itself around his hand. This time, and for the first time since I knew him, he intertwined our fingers, on his own accord.

"You shouldn't come that close to the water when I'm not there. Jormundgand doesn't like strangers."

I chuckled. "The sea-snake? I promised Bruce to take a piece back to him."

Loki chuckled softly, almost like a huff. "I do not think that kind of meat would suit him."

Someone cleared his throat behind us. We turned around.

It was Frigga, Loki's adoptive mother, in her creamy gown.

To my very surprise, Loki kept my hand in his. "Mother?"

Frigga looked at him warmly. "Loki, my dear, would you please leave Lady Liana and I for a moment? I'd like to talk to her."

He turned to me and didn't have to ask to read the answer written in my eyes. "I will see you later."

I left him walk away. We were healing this. Slowly, but we were.

The ice under me turned to water in a blink, and I got out of the sea to stand by the Queen.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"Lady Liana. I am happy I can finally speak to you."

I bowed a little. "Could you have earlier?"

She shook her graceful head. "My husband didn't allow me."

I chuckled. "He seems to give orders to each and everyone around here. What an agreeable man."

She looked at me the way a mother would in front of her child if he had sworn out loud. "Still, I am here to thank you."

My eyes widened. "Thank me? But...what for?"

"For being here. For relighting the flame in Loki's heart. You can't imagine what a pain it has been to see him fade away like that. I am his mother, whatever Odin might say about this. I may have not bore him in my womb, but he has taken my heart as easily as if he had been mine. Do not let anyone say otherwise."

I nodded. "I never doubted you, Milady."

"But you could have. I see it in your eyes when you look at him. I've never seen anyone lock eyes with Loki like this. You two seem to understand each other without words. Here, on Asgard, it means a lot."

"On Midgard too. But I can't force him."

"You do not have to. I am his mother. I saw how changed he is since your arrival. He is transfigured. And still, I can see you both have those "scars" you described to Odin on your "secret" discussion."

"You heard us?" My eyes turned to balls.

"The palace heard you, my dear. It was really dangerous to speak as you have, but also extremely courageous. You must love him so much. None other would have addressed the All-Father like this."

I nodded. "I needed to tell him how I felt. What I thought of him. I want to be honest to myself. No matter who's the King and who's the traitor."

Her eyes lowered. "There hasn't been speaks about Loki's treachery in a long time now. All that has been discussed was his destruction of his home-planet."

I took her hand and squeezed it. "Your Majesty, can I ask you something? Do you think Loki is bad by nature? Because of what he is?"

She shook her head most vigorously. "Loki isn't a bad person. He even is, by some aspects, better than his brother. He hasn't been raised as a Frost Giant, and I think that's what saved him somehow."

I nodded and freed her hand, ready to depart back to the palace.

She stopped me once more. "You know, I've always wanted to tell him, but Odin never allowed me to."

I nodded once again, and walked away.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

I was sitting in Nat's room, well, Li's room if you were thinking about that. She had moved in after Li's departure to Asgard.

I had asked her if she finally knew what she felt for me right after.

She had said that it was in process.

Still, she had kissed me. Once. Very briefly. And never talked about it after.

I was clutching one of Liana's letters in my hands.

Opened it as if it was a birthday present.

"_Dearest Birdy,_

_ Well done! I hope the spider hasn't stung her venom at you once again. I should have been there, could have told her if she was messing this thing up, I would have killed her square._

_ I kissed Loki. And he cried. Think I have messed up my own happy ending._

_ I wished you were there. Being held in your arms in the best medicine in the world. Still, I have a new friend up here. Loki's mother, Frigga, who is an adorable person. She likes me, told me so yesterday. She congratulated me the day before, for what I had said to her husband. I think I like her too._

_ Thor hasn't been around much, so I'm just practising over and again with Sif, who's so lovely it's unbearable, and the Warrior Two, since Hogun hates me. Can't blame him. Even Fandral likes me, that must be annoying._

_ I miss you so much, Birdy. It's weird how being apart from someone makes you realise how much you care._

_ I really wished Jane was right. I wished we were twins._

_ I love you._

_ Deadmeat._

_ PS: If you ever tell anyone I signed this, I will kill you from up here!_"

I smiled to the words, then got up, walked to my desk, grabbed a blank sheet of paper, and started answering.

_Reviews always adored!_


	23. A hard teacher

_ A/N: Hello everyone! Here comes next chapter, as promised, I will try to update every day, not once a day, 'cause obviously, I can't stay more than two hours without writing... ^^_

**23. A hard teacher**

**Liana's POV**

I was sitting on Sif's balcony, a fresh sheet of paper in my hands, looking on the far horizon to find the right words.

Clint had sent me a letter, saying that Natasha was acting weird and insufferably around him. I could feel his pain through the ink. And he had said we were both doomed to wait, like two idiots.

Was about to down the quill on the paper when the door opened in my back.

I didn't need to watch to know it was Loki.

As recently, he had started to spend more and more time in my company, and though we were merely exchanging words, his presence was calming in every way possible.

"Who are you writing to?" He sat himself next to me, his body "heat" reflecting in the air.

"Clint." I looked up into his face. His figure softened.

"You know, when I cursed him, I-" He looked deeply into my eyes. I let go of the quill and put my hand on top of his. He laced our fingers. "I read his heart." I smiled sadly. "You were taking quite a part of it. As did the Russian spy."

"Yes. Natasha is the love of his life. She just seems not to understand it."

Our gazes locked. Words exchanged between us, silent as the breeze.

Loki squeezed my hand. "You are the only person I can touch."

My eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Have you seen Volstagg's left arm recently?" I nodded. "He has been touched by a Frost Giant, when we went on Jotunheim on that fateful day. Part of it froze. It still hasn't recovered."

"So, you can't touch anyone?"

"Thor touches me. _Constantly_." I smiled. "But he never touches my skin. He knows it would hurt him."

"But it doesn't hurt me."

He shook his head gently. "No, it doesn't. Because you're special."

My gaze softened. I could see my reflection in his red irises. I was looking at him as if he had been an angel. "Why did you cut you hair?"

He huffed in surprise. "Why? You don't like it?" He passed his other hand in his short curls.

I lifted my own hand and ruffled them. "That's better this way."

He stared at me for a moment. "I couldn't stand anything that reminded me of you."

My fingers squeezed his inconsciously.

He smiled and looked down. "Sorry. I didn't want to say it like that."

I didn't answer and looked back into the sky. It was such a beautiful morning.

Loki froze next to me. I looked up at him. "What is it?"

He let go of my hand and started to get up. "Nothing serious. Heimdall was calling me. I'm late. Jotunheim awaits me."

I watched him walk two paces, and then stop, his hand on the door-frame, as if he was thinking about something he'd have forgotten.

He turned on his spot and locked his eyes on mine. He sighed once, and walked back to me.

My eyes closed instinctively.

His lips touched mine for the slightest moment, and then he was gone.

I smiled and turned back to my letter.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

By the time I had finished writing, the afternoon had been awfully eaten away by time. I had a full family of crumbled papers around me, and I took them to the bin before one servant felt obliged to do it for me.

I was about to pick up a book on the pile I had constituted for my personal reading when Sif came storming into the room.

"Liana! We are awaited in the Great Hall! The King wants to talk to us!"

I dropped _Magical creatures of Nunheim_, and followed her down the corridors.

What would Odin have to say to me? He hated me!

The hall was full of the usual people. Frigga was sobbing next to her husband, Thor was pacing back and forth, followed by Volstagg and Fandral who were trying to get informations, and Hogun was just standing, waiting.

As soon as the door closed in our back, Odin got up his throne.

"You're all here. Come up, I want no indiscreet ears to know what this is about."

We all walked up the stairs, until only five were standing between our group and the All-Father.

"I have received this not ten minutes ago." He put an object on the ground.

I gasped when I recognized Loki's armour belt.

I looked up into the King's face. "What does this mean?"

"It means, Lady Liana, that the Frost Giants are declaring war, now that their city has been fully rebuilt, thanks to Loki's help. They threaten us to kill him unless we give them what they always wanted."

Thor walked forward one stair. "You won't give them your staff?"

Odin sighed. "I will not. I wanted to gather you here for you to know that, from this day on, Loki is lost to the cause."

I stomped back several marches.

Sif turned around, eyeing me sadly.

Thor let out a yell. "I will not accept this!"

I didn't say a thing. I just walked backwards until I reached the door, turned on my spot, and put a hand out to turn the knob.

I heard a boom. Odin's staff had met the ground. The door was locked.

"I forbid you to try and go on Jotunheim, Lady Liana!"

I didn't turn around. "Then you might want to think about a fair punishment."

I ran to the great windows surrounding the door, and launched my foot on one of them, breaking the glass, and jumping into a twenty meters high fall.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Heimdall, the black giant, didn't really like me. But he didn't hate me either. He respected me and my choices in life.

That's why I didn't fear his answer.

"Heimdall! Guardian, I need you to open the Bifrost and send me to Jotunheim!"

The golden eyes found mine. I felt so small, so ridiculously small.

"The All-Father forbid you to do so."

"The All-Father doesn't have the right to tell me what to do. I am not one of his subjects. And I don't give a damn what Odin thinks of me. I will go there. I will bring him back. I am the only one who can. I can't be defeated."

The giant nodded. "Your chances are small, but they are still existent. I will open the Bifrost. You will have one hour."

I nodded and walked into the golden sphere.

Behind me, Heimdall pushed his huge sword into the Bifrost and lighting produced the biggest of light beam I had ever seen.

"You can pass, Liana Moon of Midgard. I will wait for your call."

I stepped forward.

I whirled in what seemed to be a tunnel of colours, then of blinding light, and I landed on a rocky ground.

As the light disappeared into the sky, I watched around me.

Jotunheim was dark. No sun in the sky, only stars. The soil was dark and sterile. I was walking up a cliff, so high I couldn't see down.

Though I still heard the dozen of Giants coming my way.

I turned to welcome them.

Loki was right. He was a dwarf within them. They were at least three meters tall, with twisted faces, nothing like the graceful angles of Loki's.

I smirked to their arrival. "Thanks to welcome me, guys. Where's the party?"

Two of them exchanged a look, then the second walked to me and grabbed me to push me on his shoulder.

I didn't protest. They were obviously driving me to the very place I would have found what I was seeking.

When the Giant pushed me down on the ground and tore my sword from my belt, I saw Loki, facing me, kneeling, his face bleeding from several cuts, his leg twisting dangerously. I gritted my teeth.

Our eyes locked, until another Giant, taller than average, with fierce blood-red eyes, came to stand in front of me.

I looked up at him. "Hello. You must be the host?"

The Giant nodded to one of those who had taken me there, they exchanged words in a foreign language, and he turned back to me. "What are you doing here, _human_?"

I tilted my head. "Well, I'm picking Loki up. You can't possibly keep him working all night, can you?" I smirked. "Besides, I really do not think you wish me to beg you."

Some Giants chuckled in mockery. I stared at them until they gazed in another direction.

The leader spoke up again. "The traitor Loki has been sentenced by his people to die. The All-Father won't give us his staff in exchange for his son's life."

Loki looked at me painfully. I growled. "Odin is a stupid old goat. I am not. And I don't think you want the Warrior Three to come back here and kick your asses as they did last time, eh?"

One Giant growled back at me. I hissed in response.

"You have nothing to offer us in exchange, _human_."

"Oh yes, I have. I offer you my life for his."

The Giant seemed surprised in a good way. Amused, even.

Loki just looked at me blankly. Had he understood?

"I might think about that."

"Wrong answer." I got up, shot my tied hands in front of me, and ran to the Giant who had caught my sword.

He didn't survive the broken neck.

Three others tried to freeze me, which all resulted in a painful death.

I came up to Loki while the others of his kind were jumping aside to avoid me. I took his hand and helped him up. I left him standing there, and came towards the leader.

I brushed my blade against his cheek. "I'm taking Loki back. If you ever try to trick me again, this time I won't miss." And I shot the blade hard as if I was going to severe his head, and just made contact with the rock column behind him.

I took Loki by the hand and walked towards the cliff without looking back.

Before I called Heimdall to open the portal, Loki made me turn to him.

"Why did you do that?"

I shrugged. "I can't imagine a life without you in it. That would be hell." And I lifted my sword into the air, as would Thor lift Mjöllnir in a moment of victory.

The Bifrost pulled us back up.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

As soon as we set foot before Heimdall, I was taken by the arms and pulled back towards the palace by a couple of guards.

Loki called my name, Heimdall stopped him from running after me.

I was meeting my punishment.

_Review, review, and review. Three is better than one! :D_


	24. Fair trial

_ A/N: If some of you did wonder, I did write the previous chapter listening to the Last Samurai's soundtrack. That's why it was so...easy to write. That music IS inspiration. Hans Zimmer is a god. And I'm crying. Darn it._

**24. Fair trial**

**Thor's POV**

What had come into her mind?

The Lady Liana had gone alone to Jotunheim, not even asking one of us to accompany her.

She could have gotten herself killed, or worse. Still, she had succeeded.

What was making her stand, I still wondered.

That human was such a riddle.

The two guards my father had summoned right after her departure dragged her into the Great Hall, which was now full of all of the court members. Most of them had never met her, some even didn't know who she was. All of them stared.

Loki silently and grimly walked to his place on the stairs. His blue skin was sometimes patched with dried blood. So he _had_ been tortured.

My father's staff hit the ground, and the crowd grew silent. Apart from Lady Liana, who was breathing heavily, even laughing a little by the sound of it, kneeling at the bottom of the stairs.

"People of Asgard, I have gathered you here to witness the trial of Lady Liana, of Midgard. Her crimes have been many, but the biggest of them all has been her disobeying my direct orders to not fly to Jotunheim and certainly not kill some of its subjects in a process of what she called a "rescue mission"." Liana chuckled loudly. "Have you got nothing to say to defend yourself?"

She raised her head in a regal posture. "Oh, I have _many_ things to say, _Your Grace_. Where should I start? When you have lied to your entire court by knowingly forgetting to tell them about Loki's true nature? Maybe when you exiled your first-born, heir to the throne, because he had accomplished what you had taught him was glorious? Or maybe when earlier today, you have willingly sacrificed the life of your adopted son to the hands to the Frost Giants?"

I looked up into the All-Father's face. He was enraging.

"I have nothing to say for my defence, All-Father. I am not one of yours. And I am grateful for that. I hope one day you suffer at least twice as much as Asgard has for you, _Odin_!"

She shouted the word.

The crowd directed its eyes on the King. The word had been said, the _forbidden_ word.

He didn't let it pass. "Seize her!"

The two guards took Liana by the arms and made her stand.

My father got down several marches. "You have said the forbidden word. You know the sentence. Liana of Midgard, you are now sentenced to die. Here, and now."

She smiled widely. "Whatever. Get on with it, show the world your mighty powers. I do not care for my life. That's a feeling you can't know about."

The All-Father lifted his staff, about to plunge it into Liana's heart.

Loki ran from behind and placed himself between Liana and the weapon.

Taking the blow.

I watched as my brother was slowly falling to the floor, his blue skin paling, his lips spitting blood.

Liana took him in her arms, and started crying silently.

"Why did you do that?"

He put a hand on her face. "I can't imagine a world without you in it." He smiled painfully, and closed his eyes.

I looked up at my-no, our father, frozen to place.

Suddenly, Frigga ran to Loki's dead body, squeezed him hard, but he was gone. Otherwise, she would have frozen to death.

She turned her fair face to her husband. "You are a monster."

The rumour spread within the ranks. Father watched his subjects' faces as they all started looking at him in an aggressive way.

He pushed Frigga aside, and pointed his staff on Loki's form.

All of a sudden, his body was glowing gold. His blue skin retreated, leaving behind the pink one I had seen him in during all those years.

Loki's body fell back into Liana's arms. His chest moved along with his breath.

I ran to them.

Liana looked at me, relief written all over her figure.

I outstretched my arms. "I will take him to his room."

She nodded, wiped her tears and got up.

I took Loki in my arms and walked away.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I had almost lost him. I would not let that happen again.

I turned to face Odin. "Why did you bring him back?"

He sighed. "Because he sacrificed his life for you. Willingly. The son I knew wouldn't have done that for anyone. You changed him. I see it now."

I straightened. "Then kill me now. Don't wait until he is able to protect me again."

But, all around us, voices started to shout my name.

One hundred, if not more, of Asgardians were shouting my name.

Odin looked at the crowd, and retreated back to his throne.

His staff provided silence to the room.

"You will be spared. But you now know the rules, Lady Liana. Do not disobey again. There will not be another pardon."

I bowed a little and grinned from ear to ear.

In no time, Sif was next to me, dragging me towards the Warrior Three.

During the next half hour, I found myself telling my adventures on Jotunheim.

But my thoughts were elsewhere.

_ I now, shorter one, but I needed that cut._

_ Now you'll just have to wait for the fair reunion... Gniark..._

_ No, it still isn't written as I'm posting this. So either you'll have it soon, or tomorrow afternoon. I still do not know. I love torturing you, readers!_

_ In fact, I love you plain._

_ Review!_


	25. It could mean less

_ A/N: Okay, I lied. Couldn't leave there. I really am bloody addicted with this story, dammit! :D_

**25. It could mean less**

**Liana's POV**

I had finally escaped from my friends' grasp. Their questions had stopped, I had told them I needed to check on something, and I had ran into the corridors towards the one room I had never gotten into, Loki's.

Frigga got out of the door before I reached it. She smiled to me very kindly.

I stopped before her and smiled back.

She took my head in her hands and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you, Liana. If I ever can be of some use, let me know."

"You're so kind, Milady. But you don't owe me."

"I do. You saved my son. You opened Asgard's eyes. I will leave you now, for I have to go and see how my husband is doing. I will see you later."

I nodded, and the Queen was off, her graceful pace dazzling.

I approached Loki's door, but heard voices on the other side.

He wasn't alone.

I knocked once, twice.

No reply.

I pushed the door. It cracked.

Before me, in the living-room, was Loki, standing in his black and green outfit, looking better than ever.

He was holding a woman in his arms.

A very beautiful woman.

I turned on my heels and got out of the room.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Less did I know, of course he had seen me. I thought I heard my name amongst my ragging breath, but I didn't stop until I reached Sif's chambers.

They were empty. I locked the door behind me.

What an idiot I was. Loki was a trickster.

"Liana." His hand landed on my shoulder.

I walked forward, breaking the contact. "You know, on Earth, a locked door means "do not entry"."

Loki appeared before me in a mist of green. His eyes were more alive than ever, his signature smirk was back on his lips. I had never seen him so happy.

"Liana. That woman was Sigyn."

I huffed. "Oh. And then I shouldn't be offended. Your ex-wife comes into your room to hug you so tight your whole body's touching hers, and it's nothing!"

He took my two hands in his, lifting them to his neck. "You are so cute when you're jealous."

Before I could answer, he crashed his lips on mine.

All thinking faded. My brain itself seemed to be asleep. Everything else than Loki's lips moving on mine was silent.

I locked my fingers in his locks, ruffling his hair as I liked it best. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him.

I was lost in him. Not as cold as he had been in his Frost Giant form, he was still always freezing. But warming up under my touch.

We broke the kiss to breathe.

Both grinning from ear to ear.

"So, _Steelgirl_..." My eyes widened. Where had he learned about my code name? "Happy to have me back?"

I gripped his hair and pulled it until he moaned. "You never left to me, you idiot!"

His eyes widened. "You didn't miss this body?"

I smiled. "The only part of it that I missed is your eyes. For the rest... It was still as fit as this one."

He smirked again and, with a wave of magic, his blue self appeared before me, except for his eyes, which stayed the same gorgeous shade of green.

I bit my lip before stealing his.

This time, I didn't wait for permission. I deepened the kiss. At first stunned, Loki soon answered it as equally passionate.

He tasted like salted ice and freshly cut herbs.

We heard someone clear his throat behind us.

Loki left my lips, chuckling. "You know, brother, on Earth, a locked door means "do not enter"."

I smiled at him and turned to effectively see Thor, Mjöllnir in hand, Sif's door cracked open behind him.

"I thought... I couldn't find you, Loki, so I thought I might come and ask Liana for help."

I chuckled. "Well, he wasn't lost. _Yet_." Loki looked at me from the corner of his eyes. I smiled more widely.

"I am sorry for disturbing. I will leave you...to whatever you were doing."

Loki laughed clearly this time, got out of my grip and walked to his brother, whom he took in his arms for a tight embrace. "I missed you, brother."

Thor smiled happily and hugged him back. "And I you, Loki."

Said Loki broke the embrace and turned back to me. "Now, if you do not mind, Thor, I have to show this madam how much I love her."

I didn't see Thor's answer, nor his departure. All I saw was Loki walking up to me, picking me in his arms and driving me to the bedroom.

His lips crashed on mine once again. I couldn't stop grinning, even while kissing him.

"Is it possible to be in love and not look like a perfect idiot?"

He looked down at me. "You _always_ looked like a perfect idiot to me."

I groaned and pulled him back to me, biting his lip in the process.

Our tongues battled for dominance, until I won it by lowering my hand to his stomach, lifting his tunic.

Loki was so a man.

_Eh eh. Finally got to it, eh?_

_ Hate me? Love me?_

_ Choose your side! :)_

_ Review!_

_**PS: NO, it doesn't end here! ^^**_


	26. Visitors from another realm

_ A/N: Hello everyone! So, I'm sorry to say, this story has come as far as I had planned it to. That means, I won't end it here. For you. You and only you. You've all been so kind and have left such amazing reviews I can't be the one to break your heart. Especially when one of you has threatened me to die slowly and painfully. ^^_

_ Anyway, people, that also means that I will only update when I've got a twist to share. I have two in mind for the mo, but I'll let them hanging for a while, to be sure they will fit._

_ Enjoy this chapter! :)_

**26. Visitors from another realm**

**Liana's POV**

I opened my eyes grimly. A noise had awaken me.

I straightened up, pulling the sheets up to my neck in the process.

Loki was already up. And already wrapped in his shiny armour, about to walk and grab his horrid helmet.

"Where do you think you're going, sir?"

He turned his head to me, smiling like the devil. To see him that happy, it was the best gift in the world.

I got onto my knees and crawled to the edge of the bed.

He walked to me, grabbed my head in his cold hands, and kissed me slowly.

"Good morning." He sighed as if he couldn't believe I was there.

I took his hands on my face and pulled him back onto the beddings.

The previous night, Loki and I had moved back to his chambers, because Sif wanted some sleep. I had smiled to the thought. Except...that's not what happened.

In fact, Loki and I had just slept in each other's arms that night. Mister Giant had principles, you see. And who was I to shake his principles away?

I still have to admit I demanded a bare chested Loki to sleep with. Best sight ever.

He chuckled in my arms and struggled back up. "Liana, I've got to go. Odin is waiting for me."

I pouted. "Why does he steal you from me again?"

He rolled his eyes and stole another kiss. "I'll tell you later."

He walked towards the table and grabbed his helmet.

I jumped out of the bed and pushed the thing to the ground. "No. If I see you wearing that thing again, I'll make Thor eat your horns."

He smirked. "I should think about that _horrible_ punishment."

I laughed. "You're impossible."

"I won't put it on until I'm out of here, promised." He leaned again, waiting for me to climb on my toes.

I pecked him on the lips. "See you later, my Lord."

"See you soon, my Lady."

I watched him go towards the door. He turned around and shot me another magnificent smile before exiting, his green cape floating in the air behind him.

I sighed and started gathering the pieces of my own armour, which were scattered everywhere around the room.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"Good day to you, Heimdall." I bowed to the black giant, standing as usual at the entrance of the Bifrost.

He bowed his head, still staring at the castle behind me.

I cleared my throat. "I wondered, could I go on Earth for a couple of hours? Now that the King has no apparent griefs against me, I thought I could visit my friends."

The golden eyes looked down at me. "You could." He looked back up.

I chuckled. "Then, Heimdall, guardian of the gates, could you please open the Bifrost for me?"

He looked down again. "Yes, I can." He turned on his huge heels, and entered the sphere. I was about to follow, when I heard someone running behind me.

It was Loki.

I welcomed him with opened arms. He made me spin and then released me.

"How was it?"

He looked into my eyes. His were twinkling, as if he was holding tears. "Later." He looked up at Heimdall, who waited for me. "Where are we going?"

I let him go. "_We_? I haven't invited you, strange man from space!"

He chuckled. "Oh, but I would love to accompany you on Midgard. I would love to see your kind rebuilding my mess. And I'm sure Agent Barton would appreciate my visit." I glared at him. "Okay. I just don't want to miss another day with you. And that's lame."

I took his hands and pulled him inside of the Bifrost. "That's not lame. That's romantic. You're not used to it, that's all."

Heimdall pushed his sword into the device, and Loki and I were sent to Earth.

In my yard.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

I new something was wrong the moment lightning stopped on the back yard.

I got up from the couch where I had been watching tv on this rare day off, and walked to the window.

Oh, dear.

Liana was there. All shining and golden and everything Asgardian.

And she had brought her boyfriend.

I opened the door, and they acknowledged me.

Liana ran into my arms. I barely hugged her, focused on her companion, who was smirking his usual smirk, without any scars or anything. What had been his tortures then? Mind tricks?

Li loosened her grip and locked her blue eyes on mine. She glared. "Oh, god, Clint, not now!"

The bastard chuckled before taking several paces forwards, wrapping an arm around her. She pressed herself against him.

"Well, Li. Uh, welcome back?"

She smiled sadly. "Thanks Birdy. How are you?"

I shrugged. "Apart from eyeing my best friend being held by an intergalactic bastard, I'm alright. You?"

She rolled her eyes. "Apart from hearing my best friend speaking nonsense about the man I love, I'm alright." She turned to _him_. "Loki, could you stay in here for a moment? I'm not sure this visit is going as I planned it."

He looked down at her, his playful smirk turning into something softer. "I will wait for you." He leaned in, and I looked away as I guessed he was kissing her. _How disgusting._

Liana tapped on my arm. I looked back at her. The bastard had walked away in the garden.

I pulled her inside and closed the door behind me. "Li, what the he-?"

She shushed me by hugging me again, even tighter this time.

I forgot to be upset, and hugged her back. I held her so tightly I doubt she still could breathe.

"I missed you, Clint. So much."

I kissed her teary cheek. "I missed you too, Li."

She let me go and wiped her cheek. She chuckled. "I'm being so sentimental these two days, what's become of me?" She turned around, looked at the room and then back at me. "So...is Natasha in?"

I shook my head. "She's on mission. In Serbia. Election going badly, apparently."

She nodded. "Had it improved or do I still need to threaten her to death?"

I chuckled. "You still have to threaten her. She won't give in that easily, you know. I've known her seven years now. She will take things as slowly as she always does."

Liana laughed. "Clint Barton. Smart ass at work. Asshole with his best friend. And patient as a lamb waiting for the wolf when it comes to his loved one."

I looked over my shoulder into the apparently empty yard. "Says the one who's come back with the Earth's n°1 enemy."

She sat on the couch. "I know. I'm far from having tamed him, but at least I've healed him."

"What happened since your last letter?"

She smiled. "He died." I widened my eyes. "That's a long story."

"I'm listening." I sat next to her and pulled my feet under me.

"Well... Let's say that, just after I wrote you that letter," she pointed at the flat paper on the tea table, "there has been an incident. Loki had been kidnapped by the Frost Giants."

"_Kidnapped_? By _his_ people? What's that _crap_?"

"See, the Jotuns still don't consider him as part of their race. How I understand them. Apart from the skin colour, they really have _nothing_ in common." I waved her to continue. "I went to Jotunheim to take him back. Might have killed three or four Giants in the process. As soon as we arrived safely on Asgard, I was taken to the King for disobeying his orders."

"He must _adore_ you."

She looked at me "as if". "Anyway, I may have had a little outburst, and said his name in front of himself."

My eyes widened big time. "You _what_?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I know. Of course, he instantly sentenced me to death, and threw his staff at me. He was about to kill me when..." She trailed off, and watched pointedly towards the garden.

"_Loki_ saved you?" I couldn't hide the stun in my voice.

"Yes. He jumped in front of his father and took the blow. He died in my arms."

"Then how can he be in our garden?"

"That's the beauty of this story. Frigga and I sobbed so convincingly the whole court of Asgard seemed to understand Odin is a bastard. He saw their heinous stares, and he brought Loki back. Gave him his powers back too, that's why his pink and everything."

"And?"

"And what? We had to celebrate!" I made a disgusted noise. "Except not like that yet. He has principles. Doesn't want to spoil the magic of the moment. I'll just have to wait before flooding your kitchen with a bunch of light-blue godsons and god-daughters."

I looked at her blankly. "Yeah, I think it better for you to wait. Unless you want me to rip your children to pieces."

She got up and walked to the kitchen. She took an empty glass and drank a little of water. I looked at her, knowing something was wrong.

She understood my silent question. "Loki has been summoned by Odin earlier today. When he came back, he was on the edge of tears."

"Didn't tell you what it was about?"

She shook her head. "He said we'd talk about it later."

"Then you'll just have to write about it."

She looked back into my eyes, smiling a little more happily. "No. I will tell you face to face."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're coming back to Earth?"

She shook her head. "No. But I've got an unlimited pass."

I chuckled and hugged her again.

She got out of my grip and got back in the garden.

His green bastardy was next to her in a blink. "Ready to depart, my dear?"

She nodded and turned to me. I opened my arms and she came hugging me again. I pulled her close and nudged my head in her neck. I breathed her in as if it was the last time I ever saw her. So like last time.

I heard a sneer. "I'd be most thankful if you stopped holding her like that, archer."

I let Liana go and glared at him. "I suggest you stop talking to me. Unless you wish for a painful slow death."

The god took Liana's hand and looked at me as if I was an insect. "The only reason you're still alive, Agent Barton, is standing next to me. Never forget that."

And the light took them back up.

I kicked a garden gnome on my way inside.

What a sickening bastard.

_Review! :)_


	27. Not of my kin

_ A/N: I receive many words of love spreading on this story. I absolutely adore you readers. 3_

_ And thanks to Yami'sGirl2012, I now have a full plot ready for you, dearest. You can address her your love. :)_

**27. Not of my kin**

**Liana's POV**

Loki and I landed safely in front of Heimdall who, without a word, gestured us to exit the Bifrost. Apparently, there would have been another depart/arrival and we needed not be close to it.

We soon arrived in Loki's chambers, the ones I was now inhabiting with him, thanks to Frigga's good nature.

I sat down on his bed and watched as he was putting his helmet down, his beautiful face torn.

"Loki." He shuddered at my voice, but said nothing. I got up and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face on his back and breathing him in. "What happened?"

He squeezed my hands on his chest. "Not now, please."

I pulled him onto the bed, his legs in my lap. "Yes, now. If you trust me, you have to tell me what's wrong."

He sighed and caressed my cheek. "I trust you. But it won't do you any good."

I leaned in and pecked him on the lips. "Loki Laufeyson, if you do not tell me what Odin has done to upset you, I'm going to ask him myself."

He smirked a little, as he knew I was definitely on a mood to do as threatened.

He took my hand and caressed it gently.

And I opened my ears.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

Liana was so convincing. Everything she had to do was asking more than once, and I'd do it. That was a frightening thing to witness.

Anyway, I was decided to tell her what Odin had discussed with me. Not what I had decided soon after. And even determined to do after that short trip to Midgard.

She was so soft and sweet when she was with me. I didn't want her to look at me any differently. Not again.

I took a deep breath. "Odin has given me my status back."

Her eyes lightened. "You're a prince again, then?"

I smiled without feeling like it. "Yes, I am indeed a prince. But other things have been said. Many other things, in fact." Liana took my other hand in hers and squeezed it to give me courage. I gazed into her blue eyes and decided to continue. "Odin has explained some things about...my past. As...when he decided to keep me as a second son for peace keeping."

Her gaze darkened. "What a bastard. I swear, if I-" I pushed a finger to her mouth, smirking. I knew she wanted nothing more than make Odin pay. And that was reassuring in a way. Dreadful in another.

"He said many other things about that. As, for instance, the fact that even if I wasn't of his kin, he had always considered me as truly his son, until...Thor was sent to exile."

"Why?"

"Because, with Thor gone, the only heir to the throne left was me. A Frost Giant. That's when he started to wonder about the good of his peace ideas, and started to see me, not like a son, but like a threat." Liana growled. "That's alright, I'm used to it by now. He even sad something really kind about me being as much of a monster my true father was. What a charming thing to say to your adoptive son."

She stared at me blankly, as if she was trying to see if I was lying to her about something. "He really said that? To your face?" I nodded gently. "I really hate him with all my guts. And you," she pushed a hand on my cheek, the intensity of her eyes mesmerizing, "don't you dare turning mad again because of what he said. Don't you dare!"

I smiled. "With you by my side, I fear nothing."

I could see she didn't believe me. So much for trying, that human woman knew me better than I thought possible.

"Will you come with me? I'd wish to ride on the golden beach."

She didn't avert her eyes, and kept staring at me. Then, very slowly, she got on her knees and came to sit on my lap, her thighs on each side of mine, her hands hard on my face. "You listen to me very carefully, Loki. I haven't gone this far, literally this far, for you to start over again. You have to be stronger than this. Stronger than everything Odin might say to you. Because, believe me, you are better than anyone else on Jotunheim. I've seen it. You are nothing like your kind. I don't want you to stop fighting, remember?"

The words stung in my chest. Oh yes, I did remember.

I pushed her on the bed and lied above her. "I will not stop fighting. That is a promise." And I pushed my lips to hers.

She kissed me back, as desperate as I was.

I knew she had understood. But she didn't try to tell me not to.

She knew I longed for revenge.

And she knew who was first on the list.

But she didn't say a thing.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Sif's POV**

That was odd. Liana had said she would have joined the boys and I for practise an hour prior. And she was still nowhere to be seen.

As much as I knew she wanted to spend as much time with Loki as possible, I also knew he wasn't into bedding someone before...some events. Sigyn could indeed vouch for that.

I gestured Volstagg that I was going for a walk, and headed for the Prince's quarters.

The door was locked. I sighed and came to Thor's chambers.

I knocked and entered. He was, as usual, eating half a chicken. It was barely ten a.m.

"Sif! What owes me the pleasure of your early visit?"

I glared at him and walked to the balcony. Thor's chambers was what separated my rooms to Loki's. "I'm not here for you. I'm looking for Liana."

He put his fist on the table. "And you believe she is in here? Really, Sif, is that some kind of mockery?"

I looked over my shoulder into his though face. "No. Loki's door is locked." I watched his blue eyes lighten. "No. No more broken doors. I liked mine, by the way."

I climbed on the rail and launched myself in the air, perfectly landing on Loki's balcony, full of books, as usual. He hadn't changed a bit.

I entered the dining-room, which was emptied of any food...or servants.

I heard a soft sobbing coming from the bedroom and headed for it.

Liana was lying on Loki's bed, her eyes spitting tears. She was clearly heartbroken.

I came to sit by her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She hugged me with all her strength.

"What happened, Liana?"

She stuttered. "It's Loki. I..I..I've lo..lost him ag..ain."

I wiped her tears again and straightened her up. "Be brave. Tell me."

She sighed heavily to find her courage. "He..he's gone to..to Earth. For re..venge."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Revenge?"

"He wants to..make my f..friends p..pay. And my bo..boss."

I stood up, almost taking my sword at my side. "We have to stop him."

"I will do that. I know Midgard, and I know Lady Liana's friends. I know where to find them."

We both turned around and watched as Thor, Mjöllnir in hand, was intensely looking at Liana.

She sobbed once and nodded. "Thanks Thor."

"But, you must stay here. If you come with me, you will probably lose yourself again."

I looked at her. She seemed so fragile.

She nodded. She understood what he had meant by that, apparently.

"Sif. I need you. Only you. The Warrior Three can't know a word of it. If asked, we are visiting my dear Jane and I'm introducing you."

I nodded and squeezed my hilt. "Let's go."

Liana stood up in the bed. "Wait! No need to go search for Clint or Tasha."

I turned to Thor. He looked suspicious. "And why wouldn't my brother come in search of the Hawk and his companion?"

"Because Clint's my best friend. When we came back from Midgard yesterday, he told him the only reason he was still alive was me. He won't harm him. Or her. It would kill me, and he knows it."

"Then we must head for the Metalman's house immediately. He will be the next on the list."

And without another word, Thor took my arm and, by waving Mjöllnir in the air, we flew towards Heimdall and another battle to fight.

_Yes. Wicked plot. I know. ^^_

_ Review, please!_


	28. Fire burns, it is known

_ A/N: I'm sorry if I make you wait for new chapters. I am studying for my own finals, and get dawned into my other fanfics as well... ^^_

**28. Fire burns, it is known**

**Liana's POV**

It took me some time to consider joining Thor and Sif on their way to Earth. But I knew they didn't want it, and they were probably right. But I couldn't get it out of my mind that they might need me still.

So I decided to go and talk to the one person I knew I could yell at.

Odin.

I had just not taken into consideration that Loki could have had put a spell on me to prevent me to exit his room.

Behind the anger I felt for him at once, a pain as I never had experienced before. It was as though my entire body was on fire. Hair, heart, stomach, legs, feet, hands, nails, each cell of me was blazing as soon as I set a foot out of Loki's chambers.

I gritted my teeth and still managed to get down the hall. Not a single trickster spell could prevent me from kicking the King's ass.

Frigga spotted me as I tripped after a flame tricked its way on my eyes. Her arms were around me at once, and I felt afraid she could feel the fire as well.

But it was all in my head.

"Liana, what is it? Do you feel faint?"

I shook my head and tried to ungrit my teeth, to explain some of the situation. Only some words stuttered out of my mouth. "I...have to speak to the All-Father."

She didn't question me and helped me down the corridors, to their own apartments. Apparently, Odin wasn't on his throne at that time of the day.

If their dining-room was as huge as Volstagg's, which was only normal seeing as they lived together, and Volstagg's stomach was as huge as the one of a pregnant woman. Odin was sitting at the edge of the long golden table, gazing outside.

His white head turned to me.

He got up as soon as he saw his wife supporting me.

Between the flames, I saw his concern. Far from touching me, it revived my anger.

Frigga left with a bow.

Odin made me sit in front of him on the table.

"Lady Liana. What is it?"

I gritted my teeth stronger than ever. "I...the flames...you...idiot."

His eyes seemed surprised at first by my lack of words. He put a hand on my forehead and his gaze widened as, I guessed, his felt the spell put on me.

Relief flowed on me as he lifted it.

"Who has cursed you, Lady?"

I brushed a hand in my hair, half-expecting it to be burnt to the roots. "Who do you think?"

He sighed. "As I see, you haven't left your silver-tongue outside."

I leaned in and made him look at me very carefully. "What on bloody earth were you thinking when you told Loki you didn't consider him as a son anymore?"

I could see the words kicking in, the several realisations clicking in his mind. First, that Loki had told me about their conversation, second, that it was him who had cursed me, and third, that something urgent should have happened.

"Where is he?"

I sighed and leaned back. "On Earth. To get revenge. You should really know better than tell someone as fragile as him that you hate him."

Odin looked at me, old and tired. "I can't get to understand what's racing under his skull."

"Well, in that case, you shouldn't talk to him ever. Or it'll always end like this."

He turned his gaze to the outside once again. "What will you do to stop him?"

I out a hand on his. His eyes snapped to them, then back to me. "Thor and Sif are already on their way. I will join them. But you have to promise me you won't punish him ever again."

His anger raised like a bubble. "How can you ask that of me? Every of his actions has consequences!"

I got up. "And the consequences of these actions will only be caused by one thing. Your stubbornness." I bowed a little and made my way to the door.

"If you step outside this door, the spell will fall on you once again."

I nodded. "Understood."

And I opened the door.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Sif's POV**

Thor and I landed on a small garden. The lawn was perfectly trimmed, the flowers were smelling good, and the little wooden house looked lovely.

Shortly after our arrival, a man stepped out of a glass-door, eyeing both Thor and I warily.

I didn't remember his face, but he looked like the portrait Liana had made of her friend, Clint the Hawk.

Thor walked up to him, towering him. But the little man didn't seem easily frightened.

"Hawkeye. The hour is dark. Loki has come back to Midgard. He wants his revenge on your friends, the Avengers."

Hawkeye's grey orbs widened, and then he looked at me. Walking up to me, he outstretched a hand which I gladly shook. "You must be the Lady Sif. Glad to meet you, even if it's not on a lighter mood."

I nodded. "I heard much about you, Clint Barton. I am glad to meet you too."

He nodded and turned back to Thor. "What about Nat?"

Seeing how he was pronouncing the name, I guessed it was a woman he loved.

"Liana said that both you and the Widow were safe, as Loki didn't want to hurt her feelings by hurting either you or your loved one."

Clint sneered. "Bastard. I should have killed him when I had the chance."

I put a hand on my hilt. "But you didn't. You should grab your equipment, for the road is long to New-York, and I'm sure Loki will not wait for us."

He nodded and got into the house again.

I turned to Thor. "I hope we'll get there in time."

His blue eyes darkened and he started whirling Mjöllnir into his hand. I just hoped it could carry three people.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

As the fire had started again in my veins, I slowly made my way to the Bifrost.

Heimdall didn't ask any questions before opening the door to the Earth.

Until I walked to it.

"I should warn you, Lady. This time, your landing will be more painful than all of the previous ones."

I nodded. "I'm used to pain."

"Not that one."

I didn't ask any question.

The fire spell faded as I walked into the light.

It just got worse as soon as I crashed onto the ground.

Completely smashed.

It was as though I had fell from the sky.

Around me, the ground was thin sand. The sun was burning into my skin.

I straightened up and looked at my hands, then body.

Why was I wearing some sort of armour?

Where was I?

And who was I?

_Revieeew!_


	29. Shared consciousness

_ A/N: I decided to treat you today. Be glad... ^^_

**29. Shared consciousness**

**Loki's POV**

I glanced inside of the tower. It hadn't changed much since my last passage.

I looked up into the sky. Over there, merely 100 meters above my head, had attacked my army...so long ago.

Suddenly I felt strangely guilty about wishing the Avengers wrong. But they had hurt me. They had made my life a living hell. And Fury had crunched my heart in so tiny pieces I couldn't wish to glue them back together yet.

Just before I appeared in Stark's living-room, I wondered if Liana had decided to come and change my mind. Then, I remembered I had put a spell on her. One of those I wished she wouldn't try to outpass.

The Metalman was serving himself a glass of scotch, behind the same counter I had last talked with him in front of. A heavy music was playing on all the house, something close to what Midgardians called rock.

"Mute." The music stopped, and I locked my eyes on the man's back. "That's nice of you to visit, big fellow." Stark turned around, his small form acknowledging me completely. His eyebrows lifted. "Well, I thought Liana would have tamed you by now."

I sneered. "No one tames a god." Not even her.

He chuckled. "Yeah, so I see. Care for a drink?"

I nodded. "Only this time. You know what comes next."

He turned around to serve me a glass of another brew, lighter and close to the colour of honey. When he handed me the glass, he shook it a little. "Whiskey. Can't do you wrong."

I sniffed the drink and, not scanning any kind of poison, I took a sip. That wasn't so bad.

"So. Called off the honeymoon, I see?" I raised my eyebrows to that question. "Where's Liana? Didn't eat her face off, did you?"

I sneered again. "Do you really believe I would do her wrong?"

"Probably not, if you're clever. She's had quite a harsh time, after you left."

I nodded. "We both had."

"Yeah, and still, you're here, and she's not. I do wonder a little."

I took another sip and turned around to sit on one of the couch. No need to stand up if the conversation was going to last. Though I knew that, by now, Liana had probably told my brother about my projects. I couldn't linger. "She's safe in Asgard. I will retrieve her after my task here is done."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to know that most of her friends died by your hand. Or have you cursed her as you did Barton?"

I looked at him, suddenly interested by what he had to say. "She hasn't been cursed. Her will is still flowing in her mind. And she does whatever she wants. She's not my subject. And we aren't engaged. Yet."

Stark huffed in his glass. "Oh yeah, right? Yet. Are you really that confident into Liana's feelings for you that you think she'll accept to marry you after you've committed genocide on her planet...for the second time?"

My eyes widened as I realised he wasn't wrong. How could I hope for Liana to accept my hand if I had killed most of her loved ones? "I did spare Barton for her."

His eyes glowed with a silent joke. "That's nice to know I'm not enough important in her old heart to stay alive."

I tilted my head. "You're all important in Liana's heart. And that's something I cannot understand."

Stark got up so violently I had nothing else to do than following. He had startled me a little, for the least. I almost expected one of his suit to appear by one of the doors.

"Loki, man, look, I'm not the best to say things, but I can tell you like her. Don't know if you really love her, but whatever. What I wanted to say is this: if you do this, if you actually kill us, you will never see her again. This isn't a threat, it's the way things are going to happen. She won't forgive this. I know her. Her heart is strong, but she is tempered. Just as you are. If you do this, you'll lose her forever."

I put the whiskey glass down on the table, pondering his words.

A door opened in my back, and before I could turn around to see who was coming in, I was assaulted.

By the soldier.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I opened my eyes on a white ceiling. But was white the right word?

I tried to sit down, but my head throbbed so hard I couldn't move without falling backwards.

"Easy, girl, easy." I turned my gaze to see who was talking to me.

A relatively old man in a wheel-chair was advancing towards my bed. I realised I had several wires planted in my arms. I snapped them all out. A machine bleeped.

"That's nothing, you could take them out. How do you feel?"

I tested my tongue. It was dry and scratching, but I could speak. "Fine, I guess. Where am I?"

He smiled kindly. "You're at the Xavier's Institute for mutants. This is our nursery."

I looked at him as if he was dumb. "Mutants? What's that, a mutant?"

I could see he wasn't expecting that question. But he didn't answer it at first. "What do you remember, exactly?"

I searched my short memory. "Nothing. I mean, landing in a desert, fainting, and getting up in here, with you."

He approached again. "Do you remember your name?" I shook my head. "Then allow me." He outstretched his two hands. "Please do lie back down. This won't hurt."

I did as asked, and he placed his palms next to my head. I could feel a presence in my mind, and instinctively tried to shove it away, but he was strong, and searched in my mind for any information. Apparently, it didn't take long to find...nothing.

He gestured me I could sit back up, and sighed. "I am sorry. I can't find anything in your mind. Your memory has indeed been wiped out. That's unusual, and a shame."

I sighed too. "Then, you can't tell me who I am."

He smiled a little. "No. But I can tell you what you are."

I snapped my eyes into his kind and calm blue ones. "What I am? What does that mean?"

"You are a mutant." I opened my mouth to ask, but he answered this time. "A mutant is someone like me, who has abilities of their own, that normal beings don't have. You are special. Take a look at your wrists." I did so. There was nothing special to them. "A minute ago, you had needles in your flesh. And still, you can't find the holes." And indeed, nothing was there. "When we found you, you had broken a few ribs, and had a serious concussion. But, after an hour, nothing was left on your body. You have the ability to regenerate. At a very quick speed, actually. That's impressive."

I looked back into his eyes. "And then, this place-"

"It's a school for young mutants. Usually, their parents place them here, where they can learn to control their powers and do not freak the neighbours out. But we do also give shelter to those who, like yourself, have nowhere to go."

I placed my feet on the cold floor and tried to get up. I then realised something and snapped my hand to my chest. "Where are the clothes I landed in?"

"We stored them in what will be your room. For the time being, one of my most trusted friends, who's called Storm, dressed you in these. I think you will find them comfortable."

I looked down at the pair of jeans and the plain black shirt, along with the braid she did in my hair. "Thank you."

I took a few paces, and the man followed me.

I turned back at him before I reached the door. "Who are you by the way?"

He smiled. "My name is Charles Xavier. I am this school's headmaster and physics teacher."

I bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"Could we find you a name?"

I searched my mind for a while. "You said I could regenerate. Why not Sarah? It sounds like Sahara, and that desert can't be destroyed."

He nodded and smiled. "Until we do find out your real name, I shall call you Sarah." I pushed a button on his wheel-chair. "Storm? Our guest is waiting for you."

The door opened, and a silver-haired woman with coffee skin and chocolate eyes entered the room, stopping in front of me and smiling kindly. "Hello. My name is Ororo Monroe, but everyone calls me Storm."

I shook hands with her. "Sarah. For the time being. And thanks for the clothes."

She smiled widely. "My pleasure." She then looked over my shoulder. "Professor, Logan would like to have a word with you. I sent him to your office."

"Thank you Storm, I shall get upstairs at once."

She nodded and turned to me. "Ready to visit your new home?"

I shrugged and she drove me towards what looked like a lift.

"Oh, and, by the way, I really adore your hair."

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

I shoved the soldier off my back and kicked his leg, trying to make him fall.

He threw his bloody shield towards me. I just kicked it away and hissed, before launching myself at him, trying to punch his head.

Stark pulsed his suit between the two of us, provoking our fight to stop, and us to turn at him.

"Steve? No need, man. I had managed to clean his head off any murdering thought."

I growled a little. "I didn't say I agreed with you, Stark."

He shot me a knowing glance. "Oh yeah, sure. By the way, Cap, your tights are still as hideous as usual."

The back door opened in a blow of wind and lightning struck me, pushing me to the floor. In a blink, the Hawk, Liana's friend, Barton, was above me, threatening me with an arrow.

I lifted my hand in surrender, almost chuckling as the situation was strangely repeating itself.

Stark sighed again. "For Heaven's sake, can't you read the tips? The man had already changed his mind! And you can thank me later."

Barton withdrew his bow, and looked at the other man without shifting his aggressive posture. "And what tells me you really won this over?"

I chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Barton."

He snapped at me. "I wasn't talking to you, bastard."

I sneered. Thor put one of his huge hands on Barton's shoulder, and looked down at me. "Loki. Again?" I shrugged. "I thought Lady Liana had healed your heart, brother. Why did you-?"

I sat up. "Why did I snap another fuse, as Midgardians so colourfully say? Because of your father's kindness over his adoptive son, dear Thor. Liana understood as soon as I told her that I longed for revenge on both sides. He would have been the last on the list. He always has been."

His blue eyes widened. "You would have killed him?" I shrugged. "Do you suffer so much, Loki, to wish such things?"

I snorted. "Oh, please, Thor! You'll never understand what I've been through. Don't even try. Just be glad. If Stark hadn't generously offered me a drink, you'd already have one, maybe two corpses to clean."

Stark chuckled. "Yeah, sure. But you forget one thing, big boy. I convinced you."

I sighed and then nodded. "Indeed. But do not rejoice. I still could kill you." I then noticed someone else had arrived. Someone I hadn't spotted until then. "Sif? Why have you joined this...rescue mission?"

The soldier's and Stark's eyes snapped to her, as she was standing in the door-frame, looking around as it only was her second time on Earth. She looked at both of them, smirked, and answered. "Liana's my friend. Did you wish for me to comfort her cries while I could kick your ass in her state?"

I smirked and then it stung me. "She has been crying."

"What do you think?"

Stark huffed. "Told you so. God doesn't know women." Sif and I both shot him a killing glance. "Anyway, I've received a message from Heimdall. She has left Asgard, an hour ago. And he can't trace her. He doesn't know where she has landed. He said she was under some kind of spell."

I gritted my teeth. "I may have cursed her so that she didn't leave my chambers."

Barton got up and ruffled his hair. "You really know her poorly."

I looked at him angrily. "Better than you think, Barton."

"Yeah, right. Anyway, that means, guys, that we have lost Liana. So, stop being a brat, Loki, and help us finding her, right? We will kick your ass later." We all turned to see the soldier's smirk. "What? I can speak like that too."

_Review! :)_

_ And listen to Blackout by Linkin Park, or I'll kill you!_


	30. When they come for me

_ A/N: Some critics might have stung hard yesterday evening. So I'm going to rectify some things. Yes, I've made the X-Men enter my story. Who better than Professor X to welcome a mutant with a lack of memory, eh? And no, I'm not going to change to proprieties of this story, since the cross-over won't last. And again no, Liana won't regain her memory simply by kissing Loki. The whole thing is more complex than that. It's always been more complex than that._

_ Anyway, I leave you with Sarah._

**30. When they come for me**

**Liana's POV**

After two days, I had met every possible person living in the Institute or, as they called it, the Manor.

Storm was by far the person I liked the most. She was gentle, never tried to push me to know things about me, and she was the one to always objectively answer my questions about mutation and other things that buggered me.

The Professor was equally kind, but as I felt I was older than him for an odd reason, I kept on avoiding his presence. He seemed not to understand I wasn't interested in his lectures about how I should be nice to the humans. I had no reasons not to be, so I just nodded everytime he said something like that and exited the room.

Bobby Drake was Iceman. I liked his power, for some unknown reason, and kind of started to like him as a younger brother. He liked the fact that he couldn't freeze me to death, so we were spending lot of time together on what they called the "action lesson". For those who had no idea, it was some kind of class where you were out into a virtual fight, and had to work up as a team to take the big villain out.

Rogue, or Mary, as I hated her nickname, was Bobby's girlfriend. I couldn't touch her. It was probably the only mutant, safe for Storm and the Professor, who could harm me with her powers. She was draining the vital energy from anyone she touched, and if that someone was a mutant, she took their powers for some moments. So I made some efforts avoiding her skin without making her notice.

Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, was the one I had the most difficulties to approach. Storm has told me he had lost his loved one, who had become the most powerful and insane mutant in the world. Our relationship was limited to team work or, sometimes, co-teaching. Scott taught powers control, as did Storm.

Logan was the riddle. But I liked spending time with him. He too had the power to regenerate, he too had had his memory wiped out, and he too was older than everyone else, though he didn't know to which extent.

I now knew some things about myself too. The Professor had found that the tattoo on my wrist, merely numbers to me, meant that I had been imprisoned in Birkenau, the biggest of Auschwitz camps. But, until then, he hadn't found anything about a non-dying prisoner in the Germans' archives.

I also learned I wasn't bad at fighting. Apparently, what my mind had forgot was still printed in my body. I could fight easily with my bare hands, but was more effective with a blade. Logan had a harsh time once, when my blade landed between his eyes. Adamantium okay, but a gash that deep took time to heal.

And, last but not least, I dreamed. About someone.

I didn't know who he was, but I knew I loved him. That was the only emotion I could put a finger on whenever he entered my dreams. I couldn't see his face, but I knew his eyes were red and his skin blue.

I had asked the Professor, but he had only one record of a blue male mutant, and Kurt was definitely not my type.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"_Sarah_! If I catch you, I swear to whomever's up there that I'm going to scar your pretty face hard!"

I chuckled and stayed hidden in my wardrobe, silent.

Logan was _so_ easy to bother.

This time though, it hadn't been consciously that I stole his outfit and painted the inside yellow. I thought it was classier that way. Never imagined that when he'd take it off, he'd be all covered in yellow paint. Which couldn't be washed off.

I sighed and exited the hiding place, ready to face his anger.

I found him in the corridor. "So, you find me pretty then, old man?"

He turned around, his claws slowly making their way between his knuckles. "_Old man_? Oh, you're so going to suffer!"

I chuckled and let him approach, perfectly knowing he wouldn't use his metal against me.

And he didn't. Barely lifted me in his arms and came to throw me in the school's fountain. In front of all the students.

"Next time, you will meet the meaning of the word revenge!"

Storm came bolting out of the house, gesturing the children to go in.

"Logan! I said not again!"

I chuckled and wiped the water off my face. "That's okay, Storm. Logan most probably thought I needed a bath."

He glared at me. And Storm looked at him up and down. "Well, to me it looks as though _you_ would need a bath, Logan."

He growled and got back in, while I was laughing my ass off, sitting in the fountain, and rather enjoying it.

Storm put her hands on her hips. "Really, Sarah? _Again_?"

I shrugged and got up, water pouring off my clothes. "This time, I didn't mean it to end like this, sworn!"

"Anyway, the Professor would like a word. He might have found something about the man in your dreams."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, if he talks about Kurt again, I'll prank his wheel-chair."

She smiled and helped me out of the marble fountain.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"I made some researches. We know for sure that we aren't the only one down here to protect the Earth from harm. If we are mainly fighting against the Brotherhood and Erik's army, other beings as talented as we are do intend to fight...some more...extraterrestrial threats."

I sat on the chair facing Xavier's desk, my eyebrows lifted. "_And_?"

"And, Sarah, I think I could have found something interesting." He took out a picture and handed it to me.

It was the photograph of an old-bearded man with a dark eye-patch. His face was kind of familiar, but not for the good reasons. "You show me a photograph of Odin, the Norse god?"

His eyes snapped to Storm then back at me. "You remember him?"

"I have some knowledge, you know. I still can remember what I learnt at school, as weird as it seems."

"So he doesn't relight something deeper?"

I looked once again at the old face. "No, he doesn't."

"Well, that's a shame, because, see, Odin really exists." I huffed. "Yes, he does, except he doesn't live on this planet."

I glared. "Have you smoked something, Professor?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sarah, what I'm trying to tell you is that Odin, a long time ago, has made a truce with another race which bears the same characteristics as the man you keep dreaming about."

He handed me another photograph, this time portraying a tall thing, with a dark blue skin and fierce red eyes. Yes, the resemblance was indeed indisputable.

"Yes, it does look like him, but he was smaller and he had dark hair."

They exchanged another look. "Well, anyway, that's what I've found. The being you looked at is named a Jotun, by the way."

I shrugged and got up. "Thanks for still searching, Professor. I'm sure one day we'll find something."

I exited the room but, as I closed the door behind me, I caught one part of discussion.

"Smaller and with dark hair, do you think that could be _him_?"

The Professor sighed. "It could be. But if it is, then, Sarah could very much be dangerous. Remember what he tried to do last time he came on Earth?"

"Anyway, I'm sure there is much to this that takes the eye. And if it is indeed him, then Sarah has a very interesting tale locked in her head." I heard paper being crumbled, and then one last word.

"Loki."

_Lame chapter, I know. I needed some Avengers-less chapter to connect with the next one. Which will be Liana-less. ^^_

_ Review, please!_


	31. Walking on the moon

_ A/N: As promised, a Liana-less chapter. Hope you don't cry all the tears left in you, 'cause it might be a joyful chap. ;)_

**31. Walking on the moon**

**Clint's POV**

I had to give him some credit, the bastard definitely looked like he cared about Li. Very much. Maybe I should have been a little nicer to him, but Nat's presence in the room and her ever frightful glances towards him made it impossible.

After some time, Stark came bolting in the room, his pad in his hands, murmuring things to his computer, Jarvis. Behind him came Banner, who had obviously just woke up, and Kitty, looking out of place as usual.

Loki got up and walked to Banner, outstretching his hand. Bruce looked at it, then at the god's face, then back at the hand. The other just waited. And then they shook hands. "Thanks for coming, Dr."

Bruce looked over Loki's shoulder to our group, obviously completely oblivious to why our former deadly enemy was standing in the middle of the Stark's tower. "Yeah, well, you're welcome."

Then it was Kitty's turn. She had been told, of course. But she had a kind heart, the girl, and she had taken a fancy in Liana, so. She smiled to him. I repressed a groan.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Loki."

He looked at her, stunned, but shook hands with her nonetheless before sitting back on the couch, where she joined him, as everyone else had decided to stand as far from him as possible.

Stark came standing in the middle of our improvised circle. "Jarvis has spotted several unusual storms today that could translate a Bifrost opening. Obviously, the landing of Thor and Lady Sif in Barton's back yard has been counted out."

Loki sighed. "I myself landed in Central Park."

Stark nodded and pushed a button on his pad, erasing that position from the list. "That leaves us with three possibilities. Nevada, Richmond, or Florida."

Steve got up. "We should build teams. One for each destination. Which one is the closest from here?"

"Richmond." I didn't let Stark respond. "I know what you're going to say. But we have a jet. That means all our three teams will have means of travelling pretty fast."

Thor boomed up. "Sif and I will go to the place Nevada. It's the farthest."

Stark shook his head. "You have to take someone else with you."

Natasha and I shared a look. I sighed. "I will go with them. Thor has already flown with both Lady Sif and I anyway."

"Oh, please stop all calling me Lady Sif! I'm not a Queen, or even a Princess!"

"No, that's true, you're only a goddess. Please stop being an idiot an accept the respect due to your rank."

She glared at Loki, who had obviously been the one to talk. "At least I'm worth that respect, apparently. No one here calls you Lord Loki."

"Because that's not what they should call me. But _Your Majesty_ Loki sounds lame."

I snorted. "Well, at least you realise it." He glared at me but didn't answer.

Stark waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, well, perfect. Thor, Sif and Hawkeye, Nevada. I, on the other hand, can't transport anyone with me."

Natasha straightened up. "We'll take the jet. Steve?" He nodded.

Kitty giggled and we all locked eyes with her. "That's cool! I'm getting Loki and Bruce!"

Stark looked at her as if she was a complete idiot. Bruce only looked away, visibly checking his nerves, and Loki sighed. "I'm glad you seem to enjoy the team, Miss Kitty. But that leaves us with a problem. I can't fly, or pilot one of your...jets."

Bruce got up and took several paces in the room. "I can transport both of you. But you'll have to behave. The Other will not lack another opportunity to smash you to the ground."

Loki produced a moan. Apparently he remembered the pain of that day. "I will behave. The Other will have to crush someone else's bones. Hopefully not Miss Kitty's." She looked up at him in amazement.

I looked at Steve. He didn't look that happy Kitty wasn't in his team. I smirked. Blind man.

"Okay, settled then. Let's go." Stark put the pad on the table and turned around, slapping his hands. "Oh, and I forgot. First team that finds her gets a signed photograph of me in swimsuit."

We all rolled our eyes.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Steve's POV**

Miss Natasha was a wonderful pilot, I had to admit. I myself had to pilot that Hydra plane once, and crashed it, indeed in purpose, but still, it hadn't been a show of skills.

She, at least, could still do many things at the same time as piloting the jet. For example, she didn't stop lecturing Stark about his teasing earlier. He had indeed said that if their team was the one to find Miss Liana, she would get much more than just a photograph.

"And besides, I'm not sure you'd like what Clint would do to you."

It didn't move the man, at least I couldn't say, as he had his helmet on. Instead, I turned to Natasha. "Oh, so you and Barton, you are-"

"I don't know. He keeps on asking me, but I have no idea."

"Oh please. Just fuck him already. He deserves it, if only for the time he's been waiting for you to open your eyes."

I turned around. "You should try and not be vulgar, you know. But I agree with you. Natasha, Barton has been waiting for you for a long time now. He doesn't deserve any more pain."

She nodded and then looked at the panel in front of her. "Florida in sight. Where was it?"

"20km east from Tallahassee."

She nodded again and sifted the plane's direction.

It didn't take us more than ten minutes to land in the middle of a desert field. I was the first to get down the jet, and walk towards what looked like a crop circle.

Stark landed next to me, looking at the shape thoughtfully as his helmet was off. "That's not that. The Bifrost marks don't look like that."

"Then what is it?"

"No idea. But not Liana."

Natasha came from behind us. "I've found this." She handed me a newspaper dated from the day before. "_Tallahassee's crop circle fake! Artist John Lellow talks about his work._"

I turned around. "Well, that's unfortunately not today I'll win a photograph of you, Stark. Let's go home and wish the others find something more interesting."

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint' POV**

I really hated the feeling to fly. In a plane, that was alright, but clung to a god's muscled arm, standing in the middle of a thunderstorm's cloud, no way.

The Lady Sif seemed to however enjoy herself a lot. She looked like the kind of woman who liked to shove a dagger in someone's throat. Not the Goddess of War I pictured, much worse.

We landed in the middle of a deserted area, in front of a huge dark circle, covered in symbols I'd remember anywhere. The same ones had appeared in New Mexico at the same time as Thor.

"This is the place, I think."

Thor nodded and examined the marks. Apparently they meant something.

Sif, on the other hand, knelt and started sniffing the ground, obviously trying to guess where Li could have gone.

I found a rock to stand onto and myself examined the scene.

"Hawk. This is important." I snapped my eyes at Thor, who was pointing at a precise symbol. That one was new.

"What does that mean?"

"It tells the name of who has landed last."

"So?"

"So, Barton, this symbol means "nothing". So, either Liana has found a way to turn around and climb back the Bifrost, which is impossible, or she had no identity when she landed. Seeing as she has been cursed, I'd examine that one carefully." I looked at Sif. She didn't reflect my horror, but was indeed shaken. "Besides, there are vehicles' traces around here. I think she has been found."

I kicked a rock. "Bugger. She has lost her memory already once. Never found it back. It really wasn't what we needed."

Thor nodded. "We should inform the others and try to find that vehicle."

I nodded and pushed a finger to my ear to contact Stark.

I heard Sif talking to Thor. "This time, I hope she accept your father's offers to have her memory back."

I didn't have the time to wonder what she meant by that.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Kitty's POV**

I nodded into thin air and turned to my companions. We were again 10km far from our destination, but there was no need to rush now.

"Bruce." I looked up into Hulk's face, which seemed to listen. "Loki." The beautiful god looked at me, his green eyes concerned. "They found the site. Liana has landed in Nevada."

Loki sighed in relief. "Have they found her?"

I shook my head. "And there's more. Thor has read the marks on the Bifrost's circle." He nodded. "It seems that Liana has had her memory wiped out again."

I looked as Hulk was shrinking back into human size, his skin slowly turning back to pink. I took my backpack and handed Bruce a shirt and new trousers. He went behind a tree to change but still spoke up. "You said you had cursed her. What was it?"

I snapped my head at Loki. Cursed Liana? Why on Earth would he had done that?

He looked at me painfully. "I cursed her so she couldn't leave my chambers without feeling a searing pain. One of those I know she hates the most. Fire." I felt shivers come up my spine as I remembered being caught in a fire once. And Liana had saved me. "This shouldn't have turned into an oblivion curse, but I guess the Bifrost made it so impossible to bear Liana's mind shut down."

Bruce came from behind the tree, nodding. "We should find her soon. I'm sure seeing us or at least you will get her memory back."

Loki shook his head. "I'm not certain this will work. It was a powerful curse. I will maybe have to curse her again. And I don't like that idea."

"Me neither."

I cut their conversation as my phone buzzed.

I quickly read the text, and smiled.

"Guys? We should get back to Stark's, I have a diner tonight."

Bruce sighed and took off the shirt, ready to turn back into Hulk.

I climbed onto its back and texted Bobby back.

"_Will be there at 8. Am thrilled to meet your new friend. Hope she's nice. Love you, Kitty._"

And I pushed the send button.

_Revieeeeew! ;)_


	32. Encounters and lies

_ A/N: Dun dun dunn... ^^ Enjoy this new chapter, folks, 'cause I really liked writing it. :3_

_ Oh, and, LittleWeasleyGirl, I do hate you as equally. No, I'm jokin', lovyou silly!_

**32. Encounters and lies**

**Liana's POV**

I hadn't imagined life with fellow mutants as being that great. Of course, having had my memory wiped out and literally being four-days-old, I couldn't say what I had expected in the past, but certainly not being that easily accepted in a group of people who knew nothing about me.

So, when Bobby and Mary came into my room to invite me to diner with a friend of theirs, I couldn't do anything but grin like an idiot for five minutes.

And Storm had felt obliged to lent me a casual dark blue dress to match my eyes and make me look like a real woman, and not a thirty-year-old who didn't know she wasn't a teenager anymore. I had liked the comparison.

"Ready, Sarah?"

I smiled to Bobby, dressed casually but still better than any other day, with his dark trousers and light blue shirt, and Mary, in her gorgeous 20s white dress and matching gloves. "Yep sir."

He smiled back and outstretched his free arm for me to take.

And we took Scott's car to drive into town.

"I really hope your friend likes me. Wouldn't want to freak her out."

"Oh, believe me, Kitty isn't easily freaked out. She works in the Avengers Initiative."

Mary looked back at me and saw my confusion. "They are humans, most of them. Work for a secret organization, but of course we know about it. Protect the Earth from the alien threats. Kitty joined nine months ago, and I think she's taken a fancy into one of the Avengers."

"When you say "most of them", what d'you mean?"

Bobby shrugged and turned the wheel to pass a very slow car on the highway. "Dunno. She said one of them was a seventy-year-old soldier who had been frozen since the Second World War, and there was a God too, I think."

I snorted. "A God. Let me laugh."

"Yeah, I know. Normally, she couldn't talk about it with us, but she can't keep secrets for long, not with Rogue glaring at her for ten minutes." Mary chuckled. "And she likes to talk about her colleagues. She really likes them. It's good to know she's useful, as the Professor thought her too weak to be an X."

"The Professor doesn't seem to be very objective, sometimes."

"He never is." Bobby drove us into a small town called Laketown, and parked in front of a cute restaurant called _The Marina_. "Ladies, we have arrived."

I got out of the car, surveyed my dress, and waited for my companions to walk before me as I acknowledged the place.

I was a small restaurant, for sure, but with much charm. Its wooden ceiling and curved walls made it look like an ancient vineyard, although I didn't recall visiting any.

That was so difficult, feeling as if I remembered things and knowing I couldn't.

Bobby said to one waiter that he had ordered a table for four and that the last guest would be arriving soon. He drove us to a relatively far table, against a wall in a corner.

I raised my brows at Bobby. "People don't seem to like mutants in this town. We always play discreet." I nodded and sat next to Mary.

"I hope they serve fish. Sick of eating the Manor's school food."

Mary and Bobby chuckled, and then he saw someone walking our way, and got up to welcome her, as I guessed it was Kitty.

I slowly turned on my chair. The girl was looking oddly familiar. Her dark brown hair fell on her shoulders, her kind face was lighted by brown eyes which translated her gentleness, and she had one of the cutest smiles I had seen since my arrival.

She greeted Bobby with a hug, and then her face turned into surprise and stun when she met my gaze.

Bobby looked between us, and turned back to his friend. "Kitty? Are you alright?"

She didn't say a thing, instead she looked at me before shooting another happy smile. "_Liana_."

I gasped as I faintly recognized the name.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

I was relieved Liana had been found by someone. I would have felt horrible if she had had to get out of that desert all alone, with no memories to rely on.

I was feeling so guilty about what happened to her.

What had I thought when I cursed her? Selfish idiot I was.

I punched the glass wall another time.

Banner came to stand beside me. "You should try and get some sleep. We'll find her soon, I'm sure of it. No need for you to fall into exhaustion in front of her."

I sighed and put my forehead on the glass. "I can't sleep. Not when she's away."

I heard him chuckle, and behind it, the growl of the beast. "That's so weird."

"What is?"

"You. I've only seen you once, and you were far from being like this."

"And what am I like, Banner?"

"Caring. Of course, you're still as tortured as usual, but I can see you have a heart and a soul, at least."

"That's...kind to say."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Silence flew over us, but it felt right. I kept trying to get rid of the negative thoughts, but they always got back galloping. "Do you want me to give you something to sleep without dreams?"

I turned my head to meet his gaze. "Will it work on someone like me?"

He shrugged. "At least we can try."

I nodded and followed him into his lab.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

"So you know Sarah?" Bobby sat back down and Kitty sat in front of me, still looking at me as if I was her birthday present.

"Oh yes, I know her. She saved my life. Liana is part of the Avengers."

Mary looked at me with wary eyes, Bobby seemed to swallow the info really quickly.

I wasn't.

"And how did you call me?"

"Liana. Liana Moon. Your code name is Steelgirl."

"Liana Moon." I tasted it on my tongue. I recognized it. "And we're working together? How come you haven't found me until now?"

Her smiled dropped a little and I could see her blush. "Well, the truth is, you haven't come back to Earth until four days ago. When Loki came back to get revenge."

I waved my hands in the air. "Wait wait, you're going too fast. I wasn't on Earth? Why? Where was I?"

"On Asgard. That's Thor and Loki's home planet."

"Why was I there?"

"Because you love Loki. You went there to save him, he was about to commit suicide."

I put my head in my hands. "Oh god. _Loki_. That's the name the Professor and Storm said about the man I dreamed about."

Kitty smiled. "You dreamed about him? That's so sweet! Well, that means your memory's still somewhere near, then."

"Yeah, except my Loki is blue and have red eyes."

She swallowed noisily. "Yeah, well... He'd better explain that himself, actually, I'm not trained for that kind of thing." She took her phone and quickly texted something.

I looked at her intently. "You said I saved your life."

She smiled again, this time her eyes full of adoration. I could see it directed at me, though I really didn't like that. "Yes, you did. We were on mission, and I was shot and burnt. I died, and you planted something in your hand, your blood oozed into my wounds, and I came back. I'm part you now, though I don't have your powers, obviously."

"And you're a mutant?"

"I pass through walls. Shadowcat's my code name."

"And that's an awesome one. Not like Iceman." Bobby tried to direct the conversation elsewhere.

I rolled my eyes. "And what would you have liked better? Icecube? Freezer? Mister Freeze, maybe?"

"That's Schwarzenegger. I can't compete with that guy."

I rolled my eyes again. "Whatever." And looked at Kitty again. She was texting once again. "What are you doing?"

"I'm telling the others I found you. They will most probably wish to run here and kidnap you back to Stark's, but I told them to wait. And Loki will be hard to restrain."

My heart sank a little. "I don't want to leave the Manor. It's been my home since I lost my memory."

She looked at me sadly. "I know. Maybe I'll get to have them stay at the school for a little while, until we figure out how to help you out."

"Help me out?"

"Yeah, get your memory back."

I got up abruptly. "Wow, stop there. I haven't asked anyone to get my memory back. I don't even know if I want it back."

Kitty's painful glance was all it took for me to breakdown and exit the restaurant in the cold night.

_Liana Moon_. If it was indeed my name, I should have liked the night.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Loki's POV**

I was trembling hard. Banner had given me something to calm me down, but I was so torn between excitement and total fear that I couldn't stop my limbs from shuddering.

Stark looked at me, smirking, from the front of the plane. "Look at that. Really, had I known all it took to bring you to your knees was Liana to be hurt, I'd done it sooner!"

I glared at him. "You wouldn't have _dared_ hurt her, Stark."

"Maybe not. But I could have faked it."

I chuckled. "I'm sure you could have."

Thor put a hand on my shoulder. "Brother, please. Try to rejoice. Lady Liana is in a good state and in good care. You should be happy to see her again."

I didn't respond. Barton came sitting next to me.

I have to admit that we shared, for once, the same thoughts. He too knew that this encounter would be more than difficult for both of us.

The look on Liana's face when she wouldn't recognize us would pain me more than anything else in the world.

The Widow landed the plane on what looked like a school basket playground.

Stark and Banner were the first to exit, followed by Thor, Barton and I. The soldier and the Widow were the last to join.

An old man in a wheel-chair and a dark-skinned woman with white hair were waiting for us. And they didn't even seem surprised of our attire. Thor and I still wore our Asgardian armours, Stark his suit, and the soldier wore his horrible blue tights.

"Welcome in Xavier's Institute, Avengers. I am Charles Xavier, the school's headmaster. This is Storm."

We nodded to the both of them.

"Mr Xavier, I think you know why we are here." Bizarrely, Banner had taken the lead of the operations. It was kind of funny to see the weak small man taking the lead, when we were all much more powerful and taller than him.

"Yes, I do. Sarah has translated her bother to receive visits so late, but she seems to be equally curious about it."

"_Sarah_?" I couldn't help it.

The old man's blue eyes locked on mine and they seemed to enter my soul. A searing pain made its way along my nerves, but I gritted my teeth silently. "_Loki Laufeyson. What a pleasure to meet you._" The voice came from inside my head. "_Oh, you didn't believe you were the only one who could read minds, did you?_" Then the voice left my mind, and the pain with it. "Yes, Sarah is the name she chose. You will discuss with her whether or not she wants to return to Liana, which I think suits her less."

The wheel-chair turned on its wheels, and the woman stayed in front of us. "I will drive you to her room. But I do not believe she will accept to see everyone of you at the same time. Two maybe will do."

Banner turned around to face us. "Barton and Loki, you are the closest to Liana. I will be close behind, I'm a doctor, after all."

I nodded sternly and looked as the archer's jaw tensed.

The fair-haired woman walked inside of the building, and we all followed.

After a maze of corridors, we arrived in front of a wooden door. "I would be pleased if you were trying to keep your voices down. Our students need rest."

Barton nodded, I did nothing.

The woman opened the door.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

That was by far the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed. At first, I even thought it was a delusion.

Storm opened the door to Li's room, revealing my best friend, her hair longer than usual, caressing her shoulders, and wearing a dress, which was really new.

But her eyes were so flat and empty it hurt.

She didn't even look at me. I didn't go pissed off about that, that was only normal. Loki was taller than me, and he was after all her boyfriend. Maybe more, as he was completely head over heels for her. So it was normal she'd see him first.

Her blue eyes locked on his green ones, and I watched warily as he slowly walked up to her, stopping in front of her, his eyes so happy I thought it was a mirage.

He lifted a hand to her face.

And Liana shoved it away.

Spitting in Loki's face.

_Ooh, pissed off, isn't she?_

_ I wonder why she did it...__ *evil laugh* You'll have to wait for that, I'm afraid... ^^_

_ Review please!_


	33. Howling

_ A/N: The Return of the JEDIIIII! No, kiddin'. As much as I'd love to, Clint isn't a Jedi, and Loki isn't Luke Skywalker. That's such a shame. He'd look fabulous with a lightsabre. And I'm fangirling. Shit._

_ Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviews, I've reached the hundredth and I'm the happiest being on Midgard. You'll have your own personal list of thanks another time though, I'm on rush to upload._

**33. Howling**

**Clint's POV**

I stayed frozen to place after that. Loki, on the other hand, as chocked as he obviously was, exited the room without another word. I imagined he was shaken, but I didn't give a shit, to be honest.

Liana turned to watch me.

"And _you_? Who do you pretend to be?"

I looked at her blankly, understanding something that would need to be said later on, and then shrugged. "Just your best friend. But that's okay, if you want to spit in my face, do it. I've seen worse."

Her eyes widened. She carefully approached me, and I didn't move a limb. "My best friend, eh? What's my favourite colour?"

"You don't have any. You just hate black."

She seemed surprised of the answer.

I sighed. "Look, Li, if you really want to do this now, we'd better sit. I'm not reciting the Liana dictionary while standing up."

She snorted. "As if." And she outstretched a hand to slap me.

Sorry, soldier instincts. I caught her wrist and twisted her arm in her back.

That enraged her.

She got out of my grip and shot her leg in mine to make me trip.

I smirked in the darkness of the room. That was a good point, if she remembered how to kick my ass. Or try to.

She managed to punch me once or twice, and I just kept sparring back, though being careful not to really harm her, I knew it wasn't the right time yet.

Then, after another shot in her legs, she tripped and I came above her head, smirking. "Bad choice, Liana. Always told you you were slow as shit."

She growled and pushed me aside, still lying down. "What was _that_?"

"I was your close-fighting teacher. Guess your body remembers some moves. But you're still slow, old thing."

She sneered, such like old times. "Okay. If you say so. If they want someone to tell me who I am, I want it to be you. Not the decoy."

I sat up and looked her in the eyes. "Li, it _was_ Loki. Why d'you think it wasn't him?"

She sat up as well, eyeing me warily. "How d'you-"

"Just tell me."

She stared and then sighed. "I dreamt about him."

"So?"

"So the man was blue and had red eyes."

I couldn't help but laugh at this. "Oh that's so good! The guy's already a pain in the ass in his normal form, and you have to fantasize about him in his Frost Giant form. How _brilliant_!" And I choked a little.

She looked at me as if I was an idiot. "You do realise I don't understand a thing you're saying?" Then she seemed to think about something. "Do I nickname you?"

I coughed one last time and then nodded. "You call me Birdy."

"Why do I call you that?"

"'Cause my code name's Hawkeye."

She nodded, seeming to appreciate the word. "And you? How d'you call me?"

I smiled. "It depends. D'you want the nickname you accept, or the one you hate and I keep saying to annoy you?"

"Both." She smiled.

"I call you Li most of the time. But as you're a motherfucker who doesn't want to die, I also call you Deadmeat."

She snorted. "That's awful."

"Yep. That's why I use it."

"I see. You are a real pain in the ass, aren't you, Birdy?"

I smiled to her. "That's good to see some things don't change."

She seemed to acknowledge that. "I suppose, yes."

And then she got up and walked to the door, opening it and revealing Banner, who was sitting crossed-legged on the corridor's floor.

"And who are you, my father?"

I laughed out loud at that.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I had met everyone of them. Those who claimed to be my friends and colleagues.

Clint was the easiest one to believe, seeing as we got along as two halves of one same soul. Apparently, that had always been the case. I was relieved I had someone who could so plainly and objectively talk about myself.

Natasha was his girlfriend. Or he wanted her to be, but she was a bitch. He had asked me not to be harsh with her about that, the affair was on tracks, and he was used to wait. And she seemed to love him back, I just didn't understand why she was so stubborn about it. So I decided I didn't like her.

Tony Stark was a...bastard? I dunno. Still, he was impossible, and whenever I'd ask something, he'd either make a horny comment about me or treat me like shit. Clint had told me I considered him as a little brother who needed a bit of education. So, after three hours that night, I started squeezing his ears everytime he was being annoying.

Bruce Banner was the doctor. I had no grudge against him, and I saw he was a nice person, but I wasn't under the impression that we were that close anyway. But he had met me way before Clint had, so he was a good supply for when the best friend fridge would run out.

Steve Rogers was an adorable person. Maybe a little too much, in fact. He was always speaking as if he was living in the 20s, and couldn't get to call me something else than "Miss". He was cool, under some aspects, but other than that, he really needed to cool down.

Thor was huge. As in, _huge_. I felt small beside him. And he had a booming voice which could send shivers up and down my spine. I decided quickly that I didn't know what to think of him.

Sif was the one I was much more reserved about. Her face didn't ring any bell, when all of the others' had in some sort of way. But I could see she liked me, and though she didn't know many things about me, it was clear that, among the Asgardians, she'd be the most objective.

And then, there was the claimed Loki. He was looking at me when he thought I didn't see. His gorgeous green eyes were sometimes overwhelmed with pain, and sometimes I felt bad for having spat at him. But I still didn't see the man in the dream in his face. So I was cautious.

"Hey, Steelgirl, fancy a coffee or something? I could fall asleep on this bloody ground."

I snorted at Stark. "Stop calling me Steelgirl. That's lame."

"But, Liana, that's your code name. You've never complained before."

I turned to face Natasha, who had spoken. Behind her, Loki's gaze found mine for a split second. I could see he was amused. "Well I am now. Steel_girl_? I am not a girl! I am older than most of you, save the gods and Captain America. I want to be called something else."

Loki erupted in a soft laughter. Thor looked at him, surprise written in his sky blue eyes. "Brother?"

"Oh, don't mind me." Clint coughed, and Loki exchanged a glance with him. "Liana and I had a conversation about that once, that's all."

"And what had I said?"

He avoided my eyes, I saw. But he was still able to speak, at least. "You said you'd rather be called Deadmeat for the rest of your days than be considered as a girl."

Clint chuckled hard, and I glared at him. "What? I can rejoice, can't I? That's _my_ nickname, after all!"

"Well, I _won't_ be called Deadmeat either. That's a horrible name fit for a zombie. And I don't look like one."

"Oh, no, that you don't." I glared at Stark. "What? That was a compliment."

"You can keep your compliments for yourself, Stark, thank you very much." I locked eyes with Loki again, and he was smirking. Yes, I could see sometimes why I had liked him.

"Anyway. It will be Steel or nothing."

"Steel sounds like a male code name."

"Captain America sounds like a gay pseudo on the net. And Hawkeye could be a girl. Should I carry on?"

I heard several chuckles at the same time. Thor's booming one, Clint's so special one, and Loki's smooth and controlled one.

"Steel doesn't sound bad to me. It could even be a sword's name. I like it." I thanked Sif with a glance.

That's when I realised I was exhausted. "Oh, sorry people, I should ask for this meeting to resume tomorrow morning. I'm falling to my knees. I should get back and get some sleep. Do you know where to sleep?"

"Well, the Storm woman has left us some rooms to spare."

"Yeah? Great." I got up and gestured to get back inside, leaving everyone behind.

I heard Stark clapping on someone's back. "So, Banner, Rogers, how about a sleep-over?" I smiled and repressed rolling my eyes.

That's when a cold and soft hand caught my wrist, as carefully as could be. "Liana?"

I turned around, meeting Loki's so peculiar eyes.

We didn't say anything, just staring at each other.

I could feel as if that was familiar. I could gaze at him, and understand him so completely it hurt.

"Oi, lovebirds! We'd like to get inside if that's not too much to ask!"

I shoved Loki's hand away and turned to glare at Stark's comment.

Everyone had stopped to stare at us warily. Even Clint had a strange hint of expectation in his grey orbs.

"This way, _Avengers_." I realised I had spat the word, and repressed a laugh.

As soon as everyone was dispatched in their rightful rooms, I got into mine and locked the door behind me.

After ten minutes, I realised I was tired but couldn't get to sleep. I was too nervous for that.

A pair of freezing arms wrapped themselves around me. I freaked out and was about to scream when his voice sounded next to my ear. "Sshh. I'm not going to harm you."

I relaxed a little, but still felt uncomfortable to be in a stranger's arms.

"I am not a stranger to your body. You used to sleep soundly when I was close. Maybe it will remember."

I made my mind and turned around in his grip, facing him in the dark.

I could see the longing in his eyes. But I didn't match it.

I think he understood me without words. That was scary beyond imagining. "I will not push you into anything, Liana. Just sleep. I will be gone in the morning."

And I suddenly realised he was right. His arms and my head next to his made it so much more comfortable and I already felt myself drifting into sleep.

Nervously, I put my head on his chest, breathing him in as if I could remember his scent.

One of his arms got up and he started to stroke my hair.

I fell asleep.

_Fluff, sorry. Trying not to forget that Loki is a bad boy, but it's hard to do so when he's head over heels for Liana. ^^_

_ Review please! :)_


	34. I am steel, I don't feel anything at all

_ A/N: I have an important message to pass, dear readers. This is the last chapter you'll put your eyes on until at least Friday afternoon. My finals begin tomorrow and I will have enough spare time to sleep and eat, not much more. Sorry, and see you on Friday! :D_

**34. I am steel, I don't feel anything at all**

**Liana's POV**

I got up very very early the following morning, and seriously, I didn't remember sleeping that well since I arrived in the Institute.

But Loki had fulfilled his promise. He had left.

I didn't realise why, but it made me feel sad.

"Oi, Sarah! Can you please tell your bearded friend my room isn't a lab for experimentation on adamantium? Thank you very much!"

I snapped my head up. Logan was standing in my door frame, looking slightly annoyed as always, a crushed needle in his palm. "Stark?"

"Whatever his name is, I want him out of there in one minute. My claws don't like him much."

I sighed and got up, heading, in my pyjamas, towards Logan's room across the corridor.

Tony was effectively looking all around the room, a strange pad in his hands, talking to no one in particular. "Oi, Canman! Could you please move your ass out of here? That's rude to enter others' bedrooms, you know?"

He barely looked at me. "That's great. You remembered the nickname."

"I said, _out_!" I walked up to him threateningly, and he looked up at me as if I was only annoying him in his work.

"Don't mind me. Your hairy friend can sleep soundly. I'm only here for investigation."

I growled and took his collar, grabbing him towards the corridor and ignoring his protests. I threw him towards where a sleepy Bruce was coming to us. "If I see you in that room again, I swear to whomever's up there that you'll suffer during more than a week!"

He surrendered and put his hands up. "Alright, dear Liana. I will find someone else to play with. Morning, Bruce."

The doctor nodded and walked up to me. "Good morning, Liana. Or should I call you Sarah?"

I pondered for a moment and then shook my head. "No. Liana's my name, after all. No need to deny it." I looked at him quizzically. "Is there something you wanted to ask?"

He smiled shyly. "In fact, there is, yes. You know I am a scientist, and I love my work and everything." I nodded for him to go on. "Could you get me an appointment with Professor Xavier?"

I chuckled. "An appointment my ass! Come over here, I'll drive you to his office, he doesn't teach today." And I walked the man down to the main aisle of the Manor.

We crossed many students' paths on our way, but they didn't seem startled that we had company. I guessed Storm or the Professor should have told them earlier that day.

"Eh, Li, wait a sec'!"

I smiled in the air and turned on my spot. Clint was running towards us, looking dishevelled but happy. "Ooh, I feel something important happened to you, dear boy."

He looked at Bruce, who smiled and looked away. "Yeah, whatever. Where are you going?"

"Bruce wants a word with the Prof. After that, I'm free to do whatever you want, Birdy." That was strange how easily I had come to want to do things with Clint, to trust him as if it was natural and everything.

"I can take Dr Banner to my office, thank you Liana."

I turned towards the Professor, who was driving his wheel-chair towards us. I smiled and patted Bruce's shoulder, before turning around and heading back to my room.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Oh, come on, I may have officially known you for only five hours, but I can already see when something has happened. Wait-" I watched him carefully, the look on his face of total bliss, and his grey eyes sparkling. "Whose room were you sharing, Clint?"

He snapped his head at me. I guessed I wasn't using his proper name often. "That's not relevant."

I shrieked and took him in my arms, hugging his tight and jumping around like a fifteen-year-old. "She told you!" He looked at me blankly before slowly nodding. "Oh God that's so _wonderful_! Birdy, I'm throwing a party for you!" He looked scared as hell at once. "Just you, me, and a bottle of something strong. Logan should have that close to his bed."

Relief passed on his featured. "Waiting for you outside, then."

I smiled a perfectly flashing grin and walked towards Logan's door. He wouldn't say no to a love celebration.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"Liana?" I turned my head and looked over my shoulder. Uh oh. It seemed my former lover (or boyfriend, I still wasn't that sure how far have things been ) looked even more alluring in the morning. His hair was ruffled and it gave him a look of total mischief. And his tired smile was just adorable. I gulped. "Good morning."

I tried to hide my thoughts. "Good morning, Loki. Slept well?"

His smile faded a little. "Not much, I have to admit."

I felt bad for him once again. But still, it wasn't my fault I had my memory wiped out, was it? "Sorry about that."

He shook his head and then looked at my whole figure. "You seem ecstatic. Has something joyful happened?"

Oh. I really didn't know if I could tell him. I knew I could trust him on some aspects, but not so sure when it came to my colleagues. Stark had indeed told me Loki wasn't really a friend of theirs, and that he was only still alive because they respected my choices of boyfriends. I had glared but had memorised the info.

In front of me, a very alluring smirk played on Loki's lips. "Even if you do not tell me, I'll guess. I'm good at guesses."

I rolled my eyes and opened my bedroom door to get changed.

Of course he closed the door behind me.

And I stopped breathing.

'Cause he was standing right behind me. I could feel the coldness of his skin, and I could also sense he was trying to seduce the information out of me.

His hand traced up my arm, locking on my shoulder and massaging it a little. I shuddered under his touch, but didn't do anything.

Until his lips were on my neck. His breath was setting my whole soul on fire.

That was new.

"You know you'll tell me, little one."

_Little one_. He had said that once, hadn't he? But when?

His grip on my shoulder shifted and he made me turn on my spot.

His green eyes were two shining emeralds.

I breathed heavily, and put myself on my tiptoes, levelling my mouth with his, without touching his lips though, I had the intuition that would be my downfall. "I will not tell you a thing."

He chuckled and retreated to the door. "See you later, Liana."

I smiled back. "If you say so."

And when I turned around to finally get into more proper clothes, I shuddered again.

On the edge. I had stood on the edge of control.

Damn that man was sex-on-legs.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

"Once and for all, I wanna know what we are drinking for!"

I looked at Li, who was smirking like a schoolgirl, taking another sip of vodka and shuddering after it passed her throat. "Shit that thing's strong!"

"Thought you wanted something strong."

"I said I wanted to know what w-"

"Okay, Tony, calm down, you silly idiot! We are drinking to...the morning sun, okay? Nothing more! Now shut up and get drunk!"

I chuckled as she passed the bottle to Stark, who had decided to pass by and sit with us.

Bizarrely, no other Avenger had passed our way. Banner was most probably talking science with the headmaster, Steve surely punching into some sandbags as usual, and Thor and Sif somewhere between sleep and eating, I guessed. Bloody Asgardians.

Nat, on the other hand, I precisely knew where she was. And in which state. I smirked at that.

"Oh, the archer's smiling. That's scary. Is that your birthday, Barton?" I glared at Stark, and Li just looked blankly into the horizon. Sometimes, I wondered how she did that.

"In fact, Mister Stark, it's more like an anniversary." I snapped my head towards the smooth voice I hated the most on Earth.

Loki was standing right behind us, his bloody smirk on, hands behind his back. He seemed very pleased with himself.

I got up and glared at him. "You just...shut up!"

He calmly looked at me. "Calm down, Agent Barton. I merely wished to congratulate you. Those events are indeed for celebrations. And you chose one appreciable specimen among the humans." My eyebrows lifted on their own accord, as I didn't know how I should have taken the thing. Compliment or joke?

"Wait, what? Does that mean?" Stark glanced between Loki and I, then at Liana, and then suddenly got up, the vodka bottle still in his hand. He took a long sip, and then cursed. "And I'm the last to know!" And with that he practically ran back to the Manor.

"_Loki_!" He looked at Liana, slightly amused.

"I told you I'd find out, my love."

I rolled my eyes and sat back next to her. She tried to hide it, but she was smiling.

I got back up and started freaking out when I heard the school headphones crack.

"_Attention to you all! Tonight, the infamous Agent Clint Barton, affectionately called Hawkeye, has finally bedded Agent Natasha Romanoff. Party hosted by Tony Stark – that's me – after your lessons in the great hall._"

"I'm going to _kill_ him."

And as I ran, I heard Liana's laugh. Didn't even have the time to glare back.

I was _so_ going to be murdered.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

"You shouldn't have done that. Clint is going to have a hard time for telling me. And Natasha will kill me because she'll think I told you."

Loki sat next to me, his long legs brushing against mine. He looked so radiant in the sunlight. "I really didn't think of that as a bad thing." But I could tell better. His smirk was playful, with that tint of mischief he so liked to spice in it. "Or I did. But that was a good joke anyway. Your friend and I don't get along really well."

I chuckled. "So I've seen. Is it true you cursed him into your power?"

His head turned to me, his eyes searching mine. He didn't respond for a moment. "Yes, it is."

I didn't know what to think of it. Or, yes, I did. "Then it's only normal he hates you. I don't know how I'd react if you were in my head constantly."

His smiled was a warning.

"_Please_ don't tell me we've done that before."

He smiled even more widely. "Once. You asked. You wanted me to see your memories."

My eyebrows got lost into my hair. "I wanted _what_?"

His hand brushed against mine, without pushing me.

But I stared at it anyway.

"You wanted me to understand you weren't an enemy."

"And did you?"

"Yes, I did. You can convince me quite easily. I can't say I like it much."

I snapped my eyes back and drowned into his. "Show me."

His eyes darkened. "No."

"Please, Loki, show me."

"No, Liana. You're too-"

"I'm nothing. I want to see through your eyes. They say that we are like idiotic soulmates. I want to see if that's true."

He suddenly knelt in front of me, looking serious and taking my head in his cold hands. "No, Liana. I won't let you inside of my head. I don't want you to see what is inside of it."

"What are you scared of?"

"_Me_." I stared, and his eyes, once again, showed pain. I shot a hand to his, and he met my gaze again. "I'm scared you'll hate me."

I slowly got out of his grip and got up. "Then we'll wait. But I still want to see it."

He didn't say anything else.

And we walked back to the Manor.

I didn't even realise I hadn't let go of his hand.

As if it bothered me at all.

_Fluff and a little prank from Loki. He knows how to appeal Tony's mind, does he not? ^^_

_ Anyway, Clint and Tasha are finally together, though I don't think they'll show it much. Okay, maybe once to make Stark shut it. x)_

_ See you on Friday, people!_

_ And don't forget to review!_


	35. I feast not

_ A/N: Sorry to you all. I promised to update yesterday, and I didn't. But there are things that happen in our families that we can't always plan, thanks the skies. Anyway, here comes the next chapter. ;)_

**35. I feast not**

**Liana's POV**

I walked over and over again, Loki's hand still held in mine, towards where I knew I'd find Tony, and most possibly Clint too. The great hall.

There was no way in the world that Professor Xavier would allow his students to go to a party hosted for such trivial reasons. I think.

As I pushed the wooden doors and entered the hall, three things caught my eye. First, Tony was obviously having a drink, and was already far beyond first one. Second, Natasha really seemed out of control. That was bad. And third, all of their stares were directed at us. Or at our hands, to be precise.

Loki and I shared a look, but I dared not let go of his hand. It seemed that his eyes could be even more radiant than usual.

We walked towards Clint, and I wrapped my free arm around his waist. "Sorry again." He caught my whisper and smiled a little.

"_Liana_..." I turned my gaze towards Tasha, who was now directing her anger directly at me. "I don't know if you remember, but sharing someone's secret, even with your-" she eyed Loki with disgust "-whatever he is, isn't considered polite."

I chuckled, and it startled her. "I remember, Natasha. What I don't, however, is if you know that Loki isn't an idiot and that he can guess pretty easily."

She directed her eyes at my companion, who seemed more than amused. I tugged on his hand when I saw that he was about to speak, but as always, he ignored me. "May I redirect my congratulations to you, Agent Romanoff? I've already congratulated your companion, but not you." She breathed dangerously heavily, but he carried on. "I wish you to be happy, and I couldn't give a better advice than to live your shared days as if they were the last."

I could see a tint of sadness behind his words, but his eyes avoided mine. As usual when he looked sad, I felt guilty. But it wasn't my place.

"Yeah, yeah, really good. Care for a drink, Li?"

I finally let go of Loki's hand, which provoked me to feel unsteady, and walked towards Tony, whose glass of bourbon I stole and emptied in one go. "Yes, please."

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

As much as I knew Nat's anger to be directed at me for the most part (Li and I's friendship had never been her favourite thing in the world), I couldn't help myself but feeling incredibly euphoric. I guess the wait had been worth it.

"Birdy, care to join us?"

I smiled at Liana, who was obviously drinking a little too much.

It surprised both of us when I walked towards Loki and not her.

"Agent Barton. Have you got something to tell me?" I could see in his green eyes that he was cautious, and his body was imperceptibly tense. Ready to fight back if necessary.

I nodded. "You should take Li and drive her back to her room, she's going to be sick."

He turned his head to Li and smirked. "I cannot do anything against that, I'm afraid. I do not wish to be sent flying across the room."

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, we all know here that she's falling for you once more. And as much as I despise the idea, I'm glad she's finding her comfort again. Go, grab her and teleport her to her room, _please_."

He snapped his eyes to me at the sound of the "please". Then, very slowly, he nodded and walked to Li.

Who definitely was pissed off when he took her glass from her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, before disappearing in a green mist.

Natasha walked to me. "What was that about? You're fraternizing with him, now?"

I shrugged and took her face in my hands. She shot be a warning glare, but I ignored it and kissed her lightly on the lips.

A massive greeting came from behind.

Bugger.

Thor and Steve has finally joined the party.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

"_Let_. Me. _Go_!" I battled against Loki, punching his chest with my fists, but it wasn't of any use, seeing as I was half buried in alcoholic smokes.

"Calm down, Liana, please." I felt him put me down on what felt like my bed, and soon his two hands were on my face, his eyes closed in front of mine.

I stared at him, wondering how someone could be this beautiful and seek someone like me.

Suddenly, I felt a warmth envelope my body, and the numbness whiskey had provoked faded, leaving nothing but a sense of awareness.

Loki's face looked even more gorgeous now that I wasn't drunk anymore.

His eyes opened and I was caught staring.

His smile too, was the prettiest I'd seen.

"Like what you see?"

The sentence rang in my ears and I smirked. "Yes. A lot."

I pushed myself up on my elbows, and he backed away to let me get up.

I stared at him, a thousand questions stinging my tongue. "Loki, why do you love me?"

His eyes repressed his surprise, and then he walked up to me and took my hand in his. It felt good. "Because you are like me. You are insane, just like me." I glared at that comment, but he soon explained himself. "You have lost your identity, Liana. You do not know where or when you come from, whose child you were. You have killed many people in cold blood, and always regretted it. And, more that anything, you are the only one who never let me go."

My silent question was silenced as his other hand came up my arm and locked on my neck, leaving tongues of fire on my skin. That was so strange, he was so cold. His eyes glowed even more than usual. I swear, someday, they are going to spit fire. "Why are you cold?"

I could see I had asked that question once already. He gently pushed me back on the bed, where I sat and he took a spot next to me. "I am not an Asgardian. A long long time ago, Odin, the All-Father, found a baby in Jotunheim's temple. Too small to be accepted my his kind, the Frost Giants. He thought that I could have been a link between the two cultures, but he never told me. That's why..."

His eyes locked on mine. I finished for him. "That's why you became mad. Because you found out." He nodded. "That's horrible. To make someone suffer so much."

His hand caressed mine. "You said many other things, the first time. This time, I don't want you to go up there and yell at Odin like last time. I don't want you to be sentenced to death again."

_Sentenced to death? Yell at Odin? Last time?_ All these questions battled in my mind for a moment, but I didn't ask them. Instead, I looked at him really intensely. "Show me."

This time, I didn't mean his memories. He sighed. "Liana, -"

"_No_. No refusal. Please. I've dreamt of you. I know what you look like in your Frost Giant form. Please?"

His eyes searched mine, and then he sighed again. Slowly, very slowly, the skin on his hands started to lose their usual pink tint and turn blue. One dark blue, patterned with runic scars. I watched the blue come up his arms, then disappear under his armour, then go up his neck and envelope his face.

When his eyes turned red, I shuddered.

When the transformation was over, Loki looked down. "Sorry."

I took his chin in my hand, and made him look at me again. "No. I like it better." And then his eyes met mine. I shivered again. "Except-"

"The eyes." He nodded and his eyes returned to their usual green.

Blue and green.

Loki looked like a sea.

I stared at him for what seemed like hours.

And then I leaned in without even noticing.

His head backed away, put I just pushed farther, until he had nothing left to do than answer me.

His hands locked on my back, and he pulled me towards him.

At first, it was a gentle kiss. I didn't remember being kissed, and Loki knew it.

My first kiss was soft and cold.

The second, on the other hand, was more...wild. My body suddenly relit with an ancient desire, and I got on my knees to get closer to Loki than possible.

He tasted like salted water and freshly cut herbs.

_And...that's it. The two star-crossed lovers have found themselves once again._

_ Next chapter will be tough for me, as I'll have to go back several chaps and take infos in each of them._

_ Oh, and I acquired Thor in original version. When in French Loki sounds a little like a teenager, Tom's voice in just heartbreaking._

_ You will be treated with a scene soon._

_ Normally, in the last chapter._

_ 'Cause, I'm sorry to say, but this story is heading to its end. Told you some while ago that I hadn't intended to make this longer than 25, and I'm not really happy of what I wrote after that. But you will have your happy ending. Because each and every of your reviews is a treat. And I like treats._

_ Love to you all, readers! x Ana x_


	36. One does not simply

_ A/N: Crying now. I don't know if any of you as seen the vid called Hurt about Loki, with Johnny Cash's song, but that makes my heart break. Each and every bloody time..._

**36. One does not simply...**

**Liana's POV**

"_Liana_..."

My lips left Loki's neck, and my blazing eyes settled on his face. "What?"

He smiled under me, and his hands got up my arms, unlocking their grip on his shoulders. "Not now."

I tilted my head, the heat fading in my stomach, replaced by cold and calm. "No spells on me, I hope?" I smirked as both the sensations wore away. "What is it then? Still innocent, are you?"

Loki shot me a glare, clearly meaning "Are you serious?" and I smiled even wider. "I want it to be on a special day. Not like this, and certainly not here."

I sighed and planted a peck on his cold lips. "Whatever, my Prince." His brows met on his forehead. I kissed it for him to relax. "I will call you that, get over it."

He smiled sadly and then, suddenly, I was thrown aside and he was on top of me. My legs, without any order, wrapped around his hips and I brought him closer, though not pushing it either.

"Stay here tonight."

His eyes were on fire. Nothing else than that could be seen in their unearthly green. "Okay."

But, instead of lying next to me, he just let himself fall half on me, his head on my stomach, our legs still entangled.

I began stroking his hair. "You know, that's frightening like hell, this whole story."

"What story?" I could hear he was slowly drifting to sleep.

"Falling in love with you after two days."

And he didn't have to lift his head. I knew he was smiling.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"I hope you'll find what you're craving for, Liana."

I knelt in front of the Professor's wheel-chair and put a hand on his wrinkled one. "I could never thank you enough for what you've done for me. Welcoming me in here, treating me as a friend, helping me, really, I couldn't find the words."

His palm stroke mine. "You are one of us, Liana. You will always be. Whenever you are in need of help, you know where to find us."

I nodded and kissed his cheek. "See you soon, Professor."

I straightened and turned to Logan. He was of course standing a little apart from everyone, one of his bloody cigars between his lips. I stood before him.

"When are you going to stop smoking those?"

"Eh, I'm from-"

"You don't know where from!"

"Yeah, well, anyway, I will smoke what I wanna smoke! You're not my mother, Sarah!"

I smiled as he was the only one in the Mansion to still call me that. My smile turned into a mischievous smirk as I reached for the cigar, pulled it off his mouth and squeezed it hard in my hand, burning myself but destroying it all the same.

Logan looked at me as if he was about to murder me, and I just walked a little more and wrapped my hands around his torso for the slightest second. Then, I kissed his cheek and let go. "I'll miss you, Wolvy."

He rolled his eyes. "And I won't miss you, that's a fact."

I chuckled and then turned to Storm.

Her smile was sadder than the others, but I had told her that we'd see each other again. It seemed that she still hated goodbyes.

I hugged her tight and thanked her will all my heart, before Loki's hand was in mine and pulled me towards the Avengers' jet.

I left the Mutant Institute without a glance back.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Ever since the night before, Clint and Tasha were always merely inches apart. That had the power to make me smile warmly at them, as a mother would do, I guess.

Thor came sitting beside me, as strange as it sounded. Sif was standing before me, her gaze locked on Loki as if they were silently talking to each other. And they still didn't like it.

"Lady Liana, may I sit beside you for the journey?"

I nodded and smiled. "Please, Thor, stop calling me Lady. I'm not a Lady. I'm just a mutant from Earth."

Sif unlocked her dark eyes from Loki's and I could see she was amused. "Oh, but I'm sure Loki would have _loved_ to make you his wife, one day or another. That day, you would have been a Lady. A _Princess_, even."

I snorted. "I won't be Asgard's Princess. I don't think Asgard deserves me. Or Loki. Or both of you, in fact."

Suddenly, green eyes were before me. And they were looking strange. "Are you meaning what you're saying?"

I shrugged. "Of the little you told me, your father's a bastard of the worst breed. I don't want to meet him. And you said you didn't want me to be sentenced to death again, so I guess that's better if I never set foot on Asgard again."

The silence became heavier. I could see Clint's gaze on me, as well as Thor's. Sif was looking away, while Kitty was playing with her music player, Steve staring at her warmly. Bruce wasn't looking at me, but I could see he had heard every word.

"Hey, Deadmeat, fancy a bit of rock?"

I snapped my head at Tony. "_Rock_?"

"Music, of course! Come on, you used to wear the worst rock'n roll tee shirts in the world!" He rolled his eyes when I didn't answer.

And that's when I was made reacquainted with the gorgeousness of Angus Young's guitar. Oh dear AC/DC was good...

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I could easily see myself buying the house Clint and I had been living in. It felt like me. Even if now, I would have changed some things. I could have changed anyway during the process.

"I know, it's a little messy, but I hadn't got time to tidy up before I followed Blondie and his friend to Stark's."

I looked back at him. "Are you serious? Two magazines on the table and a couple of rags in the middle of the kitchen, and you call it a mess?"

He smirked. "You're back home."

I smiled and looked around, heading for what I felt was my bedroom.

It didn't smell like me, more like Tasha, but I knew I'd get it back as my own room since she'd be sleeping with Clint from now on. But it still looked like the kind of mess I liked to live in. A huge library, mostly containing DVDs and CDs, and two massive posters titled Kurt Cobain and Star Wars. I reminded myself to reacquaint myself with those later on.

That's when I saw, from the corner of my eyes, an armoured and pink Loki enter the room.

I took his hand, seeing as he looked troubled. "What is it?"

He stared at me softly. "I have to go. Explain some things to Odin before coming back to you." My heart pounded painfully in my chest, and he rested his head on mine, helping me relax. "It will be alright. I will come back. Nothing would keep me away from you now. Ever."

He kissed my forehead once, I tiptoed to put a light kiss on his lips, and then he turned around, heading for the bedroom door.

"I left you my file from S.H.I.E.L.D. I hope it helps you." And he was gone.

I turned around and found a blue folder waiting for me on my bed.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Clint's POV**

"You want me to read it to you? Liana, are you a three-year-old?"

Liana came to sit next to me on the couch, and put herself in my arms, her head on my shoulder, as she liked it best. "Please? I want you to know as well."

I looked over my shoulder at Tasha, who nodded and came to the garden to walk a little. The remains of our pizza slices left on the table, I sighed and took the blue folder titled "Loki Laufeyson".

"Right. Which one do I start with?" She didn't answer, so I just took it chronologically.

"**Data n°89564: Loki (public enemy n°1)**

**Modifications by: 254 Agent Liana Moon (previously Noname)**

**Object: physical appearance**

**Six foot two, green eyes, black hair to the shoulders, though not specified how looks in Jotun form.**

**Object: psychology file**

**feelings of superiority concerning humans**

**poker face most of the time (except when brother appears, which translated fear, hatred and something close to loss)**

**can reach people's mind (tried and failed twice)**

**doesn't notice the rest of the crew (or slaves, as he calls them)**

**attention soon focused on one thing only**

**most possibly tortured by Chitauris' master (Name unknown)**

**adopted my Odin, All-Father, and Frigga, half-brothers Thor and Baldur, previously married to Sigyn, has infanted Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse**

**true son of Laufey, king of the Jotuns, abandoned as a baby in the temple (too little for his race)**

**used as a peace maker between the two races**

**learned the truth when Thor attacked Jotunheim**

**turned mad**

**serious lack of love throughout his life (safe for Thor, who didn't know either)**

**Diagnostic: superiority complex compared to his brother (can guess his tries at subduing the Earth are meant to prove his valour), fragile mind, superior magical skills though not used much (except for producing clones), heart cut apart from the mind to save pain.**" I stopped reading, focusing on the wall in front of me. "Wow. That almost makes me like the guy."

I heard a sniff, and then Liana sat up, her face covered in tears, a look of intense pain written all over her figure. "Yes. It does make him look nicer."

And she got up, took the file, and exited to her room.

Tasha, who of course had been silently waiting at the door, looked at her as she was departing, and then took her place next to me. "What happened?"

"I think Li started once again to believe Loki is a poor soul to mend."

"Do you believe it too?"

I snarled. "The only thing I believe in is the fact that I'm going to kill him slowly if anything happens to her."

And Tasha just nudged her face in the crook of my neck, and I stopped thinking much.

_That's what I meant by "previous chaps stuff". The data. Gosh that was hard to complete without giving too much of infos she wasn't supposed to know about when she wrote it._

_ Review! :)_


	37. Memories won't last

_ A/N: Decided to treat you. Here comes the second-to-last chapter, and I'm telling you there will be some sort of epilogue, and...a chapter just for you! You'll see it later today, if fortunate. Love you all!_

**37. Memories won't last**

**Liana's POV**

"I said punch, I didn't say send me across the room!"

I snapped my head off my current thoughts, all, of course, directed at Loki, and watched as Clint got up from the floor and walked back towards me.

Around us, most S.H.I.E.L.D agents started clearing their throats. He glared at them and then at me. "What's on your mind, today, Li?"

I sighed and rubbed my hands. "It's been 12 days, Clint."

He sighed as well and took his towel at my feet. "You miss him. That's only natural. But he said he'd come back, and as much as I hate the idea, I think he will."

I nodded and then kicked my leg in the air, only for it to be caught in mid-air and thrown aside. Clint smirked at my attempt, and we resumed our cordial fight.

"Oi, Moonlight!" Clint's hand stopped inches from my face, and I kissed his knuckles as a joke. He smiled and we both turned to see Tony, in a bloody expensive suit, his sunglasses on – inside of a flying aircraft carrier, should I remind you – and a file in his hands.

"Tony. What a _pleasure_."

He looked at me above his glasses. "That was a bad attempt at being sarcastic, my dear. I just ran into our lovely boss, and it appears we have a case." He handed Clint the file, and he swiftly opened it, revealing a photograph of Justin Hammer, and another man, looking weirdly familiar. I remembered seeing his face at Tony's.

"_Vanko_? But, you killed him, didn't you?"

That's it. Anton Vanko. Whiplash. I had seen an article about him on Tony's lab's wall about a week before.

"Unfortunately, it seems that dear Justin didn't tell us everything. Vanko did blow his suit up, but he didn't die. He lost both his arms and his right leg in the process, poor lad, but the rest of his body was just fine. So, naturally, Hammer Industries did its best to bring him back to a walking state. He's a little like Frankenstein, apparently."

I looked up the file into Tony's black eyes. "And how have you known?"

"Hammer's a bitch. He likes to make me think he's more intelligent than me. He boasted about it, actually. Not really clever, for an inventor." He caught his glasses and started waving them in the air. "Anyway, Fury needs us to find him. As we know, he could very well be more dangerous now that he's not...entirely...himself."

"And he wants me as well?" I couldn't hide my surprise.

"Yep, Steel. You're in. Though I really doubt I'll need backup. I killed him once, I can kill him twice."

"Except that last time, you had Rhodes."

Tony glared at Clint. "Yeah, whatever."

I chuckled and stole Clint's towel. "Come on, boys, we need to suit up."

A distraction wouldn't be enough.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Kitty's POV**

"Are you sure you can help me pass?"

I smiled at Liana's fear to get through a wall. Bobby had been the same, last time. I nodded. "Of course I can. I did it numerous times, you know."

Fury looked at us weirdly. "Are you sure, Agent Moon, that you won't freak out once in place? We desperately need someone inside the bunker to hack the security and open the doors."

She glared at him. "I don't remember if I liked you before, but I definitely don't like you now." He sighed and rolled his eye. "Yes, I am sure, _Colonel_." She nearly spat the word.

It sounded just like Loki.

"Then here you go. Stark and Rogers, you'll be the first to enter. Banner and Thor, usual backup, Romanoff and Barton, exit."

Usual pattern. I wondered if Liana remembered the day she...no, of course she didn't. But it had been just the same pattern as that day.

We soon were off. Liana looked lost in her thoughts as she gathered her usual knives and guns. Ever since Loki and Sif had left, she had seemed absent. But yet again, she hadn't had any news.

"Kitty, will you take anything?"

I looked at Steve, who was handing me a gun. I looked at it with disgust, and shook my head. "No, thank you Steve. I'd prefer not."

I stared into his blue eyes, and he seemed concerned. That was a first. My heart twinged in my chest, but I ignored it. He was just concerned about a member of his team, not me in particular.

"It's okay, Cap, I'll watch over her. And apparently I can bring her back if she dies, so..."

Steve grimaced but nodded nevertheless.

Liana smirked at me once I had turned around.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I shouldn't say, but it seems, my dear, that you've finally hit the cord." The last part of her whisper was swallowed as the plane got down and down, and I knew that was it.

Tony opened the back door of the plane. A strong wind invaded the cockpit. "Ladies first."

Liana grabbed a parachute, but I shook my head and outstretched a hand. "We don't need it."

Stark grimaced and shivered. "And I warn you, it isn't agreeable."

Liana shrugged and took my hand, gripping it tight as we walked towards the edge and jumped into the air.

I had to really concentrate to land correctly.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

**Liana's POV**

I shivered many times to shrug the feeling off me. "Gosh, that's just...disturbing!"

Kitty looked at me. "Sorry. I thought it more discreet if we weren't landing with parachutes."

I nodded at the logic. "Come on, we have to open those blasted doors before the others get in."

She nodded and we walked towards the emerged part of the bunker. Two doors just like a cellar's, and a wall fifty inches tall, just enough for us to crawl into the bunker. I watched the map and directed ourselves towards the wall just above the control room.

I sat on the ground and put my feet against the wall. Beside me, Kitty did the same. I took my gun in my right hand and offered the left to her.

She took it, and as soon as she did, I felt my body cells melting, and my feet got into the wall as if it had been water.

I closed my eyes, and a second later, I was falling two meters high in a square and big room.

Crowded with armed men. No, not men. _Drones_.

I pushed Kitty behind a desk and pushed my earplug as I started shooting at them, in vain of course. "Guys? We might have a problem here. The security panel isn't really human."

"Drones, again? God, Vanko will never learn." I heard Tony swear. "Guns useless, darling. I'm afraid you'll have to take them down with your dear daggers. Aim for the head, and disconnect them from the rest of the body. The gas compartment on the right chest could be another good option."

I nodded into thin air and gestured to Kitty to stay where she was no matter what.

And then I launched myself onto a desk and jumped onto the first drone's neck.

Gosh that was better than killing real people.

Okay, the drones' blood wasn't really better on my hands than real one, but I still could look at me in a mirror.

Three of them decided to aim for me at the same time. No need to punch.

I grabbed one of the dead's arm and shot its kind right in the head. That slowed it down, and my knife did the rest.

I cringed in pain when the second one's blast touched me squared in the chest, but fortunately for me I healed pretty fast. But that still had hurt.

Once I only had to kill four of them, I drove them towards a far corner of the room and gestured Kitty to go and open the doors. She ran across the room and punched the button with her fist, hiding under the desk as she was done.

Another drone down. One arm cut deep. Another head flying down. My thigh cracked.

The door opened and an arrow came lodging itself in the last drone's neck, breaking the connection.

I turned to Clint, my blood oozing from several wounds. "What was _that_ for?"

He shrugged, an irresistible smirk on his lips. "Just wanted to have fun. Come on, I'll drive you both to the jet."

Kitty ran to us and supported me until my thigh was okay. She was covered in oil. "Sorry, darling. I'm afraid we'll smell during a month."

She smiled. "That's okay. And, if I can say, you look really frightening when you're angry."

I smiled proudly. "That's a beautiful compliment, darling girl."

And Clint blasted one or two drones who came behind us. The alarm had been given.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

"You look horrible."

I turned around and saw Bruce walking towards me. I looked down at myself. My right arm was covered in dried blood, as was part of my left leg, and the rest of me was just covered in either oil or some sort of yellow gluish thing. I smelled bad as well.

I smirked at him, mocking his appearance as he had obviously just turned back from Hulk, and came to hug him tight, giving him some of my stink. "Bruce, my dear Bruce. You'll never learn."

Tony arrived at that moment, and grimaced when he saw both of us. Bruce was chuckling, and that was a agreeable sound. "Oh, for Heaven's sake, Li, don't come near me in that state!"

I rolled my eyes playfully, and was about to hug him as well when a bucket of real cold water was emptied on my head.

I turned on my heels. "_Thor_..."

"Sorry, Liana, but...the smell really is terrible."

And our whole group started laughing hard.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I got out of my quarters' bathroom after each and every inch of my body was free of oil, smell or blood. It had taken some time, but I was then as clean as a polished mirror.

I got into my bedroom, a towel wrapped around my waist, and quickly put a shirt on. When I was about to put my pyjama's pants as well, two soft knocks echoed on the door.

I walked to it, my still wet hair stinging on my back.

I opened the door and saw no one.

Startled, I gazed into the corridor but no one was there either.

It's only when I closed the door that I realised the air had become chillier.

I smiled widely before turning around.

Loki was there. Standing before me, not wearing his Asgardian outfit, but a tight dark blue jeans and a dark green shirt.

I bit my lip before running into his open arms, kissing every inch of his skin I could reach.

"I missed you, silly."

He breathed me in and drove me to my bed. "And I you, my love."

And he put his lips on mine.

I forgot everything that happened after that.

_:) I like moments like this._

_ I thought it good to make one last "action chapter" before the end. So that Liana wouldn't have waited for Loki to come back just by punching into Clint's chiselled face. If you get my meaning... :p_

_ Review, please!_


	38. Me? I'm just me!

**38. Me? I'm just me!**

**Liana's POV**

About a week later, I finally learned what I had realised ages ago. Loki couldn't give me my memory back. His spell had gone extremely wrong, but he liked how things had turned up, and I agreed with him that the best thing was we still were together.

After that fateful night, he had told me what had been decided on Asgard. After a very long and unpleasant discussion with Odin, Loki had decided that he wouldn't ever set a foot on Asgard again. Frigga, his mother, had cried a lot, but they had agreed that she would visit from time to time. The Warrior Three and Sif, on the other hand, had been really glad of this announcement.

And I learned, for the second time apparently, that Loki had been married once, to a woman he didn't love and who took a lover. Her name was Sigyn, and I swore myself to always loathe her.

Life at S.H.I.E.L.D went unnoticed, as Loki had been accepted as a potential Avenger, even though he was far from liking the idea, and it was just when I blackmailed it for a night of passion that he agreed.

I had never seen Tony being pranked that much in such a short amount of time.

That morning, I was awoken but the charming sound of a fire alarm. Loki had put oil in Tony's suit. And it consumed it.

I didn't like the idea, even if it made me laugh, that my lover would do such things that could have wounded my friends. But he had agreed he'd not do anything to harm me, even indirectly.

Clint and Tasha had officially moved together in her quarters. That meant I spent a huge amount of time knocking at their door, since she was living just five doors from me. My own way of pranking people.

"Good morning everyone!"

I turned my chair around to see Steve enter the canteen, a look of total smugness on his usually poker face.

Clint, next to me, exchanged a knowing glance with Tasha. "So, how was the film?"

I coughed my tea back into my mug. "What? Steve went to the cinema and no one told me?"

Steve blushed. "Yes, I-"

"Rogers invited Shadowcat and she decided to go the the movies with the big guy."

No one made a move. "Good morning to you too, Stark." Echoed around the room.

"Anyway," my attention snapped back at Tasha, "what did she pull you into watching?"

"Something called _The Hobbit_. That was really weird." I snorted, as I had found myself soon obsessed with Lord of the Rings and everything related to someone called Smeagol.

"Hey, you told me you _liked_ it!"

He swirled around and we all saw Kitty, who of course hadn't opened the door and was now standing behind Steve, her hands on her hips. "Uh, yes, I did...but...uh..."

I burst into laugh. Every gaze locked on me. "I'm so sorry, Steve! I was the one to propose that one to Kitty. She had liked the first part."

"There was another part? That's why I didn't understand everything!"

Tony sneered. "I feel like the poor guy will soon find himself locked into a room swallowing hours and hours of Middle Earth."

I raised a hand. "I volunteer!"

A cold arm wrapped itself around me, and Loki materialized next to me, kissing my forehead. "Oh, no, you don't. I have other things on the list for you."

Tony made a disgusted sound, and I chuckled. "Tony, will you please close your mouth and call your girlfriend?" I didn't unlock my gaze from Loki's, which was obviously quizzical.

"_Why_ should I call Pepper?"

"Well, I thought it a good idea if we all got out tonight. And as we are almost all-"

Bruce sighed. "I have nobody to go out with, Liana..."

"You have Thor. His Jane won't like the idea of travelling through half the country just for a few hours." I rolled my eyes at Tony.

The blonde giant shrugged. "My Jane will likely spend the evening with me. I will ask." And he got up and exited the room.

I turned back to Bruce. "Two words. Agent Hill."

Clint chuckled. "That wouldn't be such a bad idea, if she wasn't such a pain in the ass."

Tasha elbowed him. "Don't listen to him. You will come with me, Banner. I'll introduce you, and you'll see if you like her. I'd like an evening with friends too."

Loki's arm tightened around me, and I looked up into his eyes.

Once again, no need of words. I nodded, and we disappeared.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

I settled myself on my armchair, looking warily as Loki was pacing around the room.

"What is it, Loki?"

His eyes darkened a little, then he put his hands into fists, and seemed to take a decision.

I didn't even blink when he settled himself on his knees before my eyes.

"Liana, I..." He trailed off, seeing surprise and most probably joy in my face. "I... Will you-?"

I didn't let him finish. I assaulted him and planted several kissed on his parted lips. "Oh, yes, I will, Loki. I will be your wife."

His eyes had never been that radiant.

"But..." darkened again. "On one condition." He pushed me to go on. "I want to share a memory with you."

He shook me off his arms. "No. I said it once, I'm-"

"Then it's decided. I won't marry you."

He looked at me, anger almost taking over love, and he growled a little before surrendering. "Alright. But you'll pay for that."

I rolled my eyes before getting up and pulling him onto the bed. "I'm sure you'll find something." And I pecked him on the lips before lying down and waiting.

His fingers wrapped around mine. "Close you eyes."

I did so, and I felt another presence in my mind. An aura both grey and blue. "Hello" I heard him chuckle, and then the memory wrapped itself around my brain.

_o°o°oMemory°o°o°_

I was standing in the middle of a staircase, leading to a long but not large room, and on the end of it was standing Loki. He was shivering, and was grabbing something in his hands.

Beside me, I found an old man, with a dark eye patch and a booming voice. That could only be Odin.

"_No_!"

Loki jumped a little and then put the thing back down. "Am I cursed?"

"No."

"What am I?"

"You're my son." I sneered at the man, but none could hear me.

Loki turned around, blue skin and red eyes covering his face and hands, and slowly the colours faded back into his usual form. "What _more_ than that?" He started walking towards us, his green eyes watering. "The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"

Odin waited for him to get to down the stairs to answer. "No. In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple, and I found a baby. Small for a Giant offspring, abandoned suffering, left to die. Laufey's son."

Loki seemed to take it in. "_Laufey's_ son?" His eyes watered even more, and I started to see it growing inside of him. _Madness_. He began to hate himself.

"Yes."

Loki started panting, trying to keep the tears inside, but he couldn't hide the horrible distress he felt, and I wanted to rip it off him so hard I found myself crying as well. "_Why_? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood, why would you take me?

"You were an innocent child."

"No, you took me for a purpose. What was it?" Tears began coming down his cheeks. "_**Tell me!**_"

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about a light, bring about a permanent peace. Through you."

"Wha'?" My heart broke at that simple syllable. Loki's face was so full of pain, of need, it was the most heartbreaking thing I had ever seen.

"But these plans no longer matter."

This time, Loki started crying freely. "So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?"

"You twist my words!"

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you?"

"You're my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."

"Why? Be...because I...I'm...I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night?" I had never heard him stutter. That translated his horrible state. My hands curled into fists, tears drying on my clothes. "You know, it all makes sense, now, why you favoured Thor all these years!" Odin sat on the stairs next to me, and I understood something was off. "Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you wouldn't have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!"

Odin outstretched a hand, in need of help, and I watched as Loki's rage faded into concern. His tears were still there, and he was struggling, I could see it.

He put a hand on his father's, and started freaking out. "Guards! Guards, please, help!"

The doors opened behind me, and two guards took Odin's body and drove him away.

I locked my eyes on Loki's face. Torn. Destroyed. Ripped in two.

His green eyes met mine. I jumped a little.

His palm met my cheek. "Now you know."

And I was pulled back into reality.

_o°o°o°o°o°_

Loki soon rolled over me and wiped the tears that still flowed from my eyes.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, sobbing like a baby.

"That's alright, my love. It's over now."

"How did...did you ge...get out of th...this?"

He caressed my cheek. "Thanks to you. And thanks to Frigga. And Thor. You three were the only ones to still love me after what I had done."

I pushed my lips on his for a moment, and then locked my gaze on his, panting a little. "Loki?"

"Yes, Liana?"

"Will you marry me?"

He smiled and nodded softly. "Of course I will."

_Tadaaa!_

_ You know, that scene always leaves my heart broken. Tom's job is just extraordinary._

_ This is it, my dearest readers!_

_ The epilogue will be uploaded as soon as it's written, and don't forget the special chapter after that! :)_

_ Reviews still adored! :3_


	39. Epilogue: 50 years later

_ A/N: That's it, my lovely readers. This story is now officially over and I can't begin to express you my love. Thanks to all of you, this story has been favoured and subscribed to more than three hundred times, and this is to date my longest story._

_ And I can officially say my writing had improved drastically ever since the beginning. Love you all for that!_

**Epilogue: 50 years later**

Liana was walking in Hyde Park. Her coat wrapped around her shoulders, taking in the chilly air of December.

She remembered everything.

Ever since she had left Asgard, she had never again lost her memory, and sometimes she wished she had.

Although her body didn't show it, she felt old. And empty. Clint, Tasha, Tony, Steve and Kitty had passed away long ago. And she still wasn't over it.

Of course they all still lived somehow.

Clint and Tasha had had a beautiful girl after ten years. They had called her Sarah. She now was a beautiful mother of three boys, and Liana was visiting them often, as she still was her godmother.

Steve and Kitty had finally got together, and lived a full life, though still without children. She knew it had been their greatest regret.

For some obvious reasons, Tony and Pepper had parented a boy, as insufferable as his father, called Howard, just like his grandfather. Now a businessman as disinterested as his father, Howie, as he liked to be called, was S.H.I.E.L.D's new boss, so Liana's too, and was the happy father of a girl he had named Jareen. Jarvis was happy to be a living being's godfather.

Bruce, for some unknown reasons, couldn't die. His hair had turned grey a long time ago, but nothing more had occurred.

That was it. Of the former Avengers, only Liana, Loki, Thor and Bruce remained.

They had been joined by several others. Spider-Man had lasted thirty years. Ant-Man had just retired, and Wasp was about to.

Of the new recruits, there was Logan, Liana's former friend in the Mutant Institute, who had decided to be useful after all, Susan Storm and her brother Johnny, both scientists who had turned mutants after an incident in space, and Bliss, Bobby Drake's and Mary's granddaughter. A little bunch of heroes.

She walked a little more between alleys, before two strong arms pulled her against a hard body.

"Good morning, my love."

Liana sighed in content and turned around, wrapping her arms around Loki's neck. "Good morning to you too, darling."

Her biggest regret was that she would never be able to give Loki a child. Her body was too old for it. And adoption wasn't really an option, since they were both immortals.

Loki still received his apple once a year, thanks to Thor.

"You are shuddering. What is it?"

Her eyes locked on those, still as green and as gorgeous, of her husband. "Nothing. I miss them, that's all."

He planted a kiss on her lips, and she surrendered to desire for a moment. "I miss them too."

And he took her hands, resuming to walk, children and their parents laughing and playing in the snow around them.

Liana might have eternity, but she would never have lived it without him.

Liana and Loki. Fire and ice. Sea and seaweed.

Always entangled.

Never torn apart.


	40. Credits

_ A/N: Here it comes, dearest! I called this one..._

**Credits**

* * *

Playlist

_ Some may have noticed, I sometimes out a pun into the chaps for songs I listened to while writing. Here comes the official playlist for What ifs don't change the world!_

1. World so cold (Three days Grace)

2. Numb (Linkin Park)

3. The Messenger (Linkin Park)

4. The Avengers theme

5. We're in together now (Nine inch nails)

6. Blackout (Linkin Park)

7. A hard teacher (Hans Zimmer)

8. Born to die (Lana Del Rey)

9. Dark Paradise (Lana Del Rey)

10. Hurt (Johnny Cash)

* * *

Thanks

_ And here comes the list of reviewers I have to thank and hug very tightly... :)_

Mac n' Meez: without whom this story would never have lingered that long. Without help, I would have written rubbish. Thanks so much.

Dark Mind of the American Teen: for threatening me and forgiving me for messages not clearly intended to her. Love you.

Little Weasley Girl: for being insufferable, a real pain in the ass, and still making me laugh at 2a.m with her silly reviews. I can't say you're my favourite reviewer, that wouldn't be fair, but you still make the podium... ^^

Idunn: for parsimonious reviews, still greatly appreciated.

Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape: for reviews full of smileys and puns, which I love learning about. :) And always the first to review, by the way. ;3

Yuuki-Chan-13: for the love, and ideas, given freely and quite...enthusiastically. I'm still waiting for a common story, and to teach you some things as well... ^^

And TheFoolArcana: for reviewing each and every chapter... ^^

* * *

_Now for all the occasional reviewers:_

Masked Bard of Chaos, The secret bookworm, Savysnape7, clarinetgirl628, Silver Akuma Kitsume, IloveAnime89, HellsTheTwerd, WillowTheMischeifMaker, JuliMaus89, and booklover1498.

* * *

_And all the others, who reviewed only once but whom I still love:_

Rakuen91, Tinker178, Hornet394, TheCivilWars, In a World of My Own, Copperflower, TaylerSnape13, GSmith1, Vana1818, Mew of Fire, Insanity Bitch, BANEHitawari, Lornaa, ViolentAlice,  .x, and CatyCrisis.

* * *

_This wouldn't have been possible without all of you. Thanks to all. I will miss your reviews. :3_

x Ana x


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